Design optimization improves equipment performance, reduces costs, or enhances other project objectives through systematic refinement of engineering designs. This discipline applies engineering analysis, computational tools, and fabrication knowledge to identify design improvements that deliver measurable value.

Optimization opportunities exist throughout equipment design: pressure vessel shell thickness and head geometry for material efficiency, nozzle placement and reinforcement for fabrication simplification, support design for load distribution, and piping configurations for pressure drop reduction. Each optimization requires balancing multiple objectives—cost, performance, fabricability, and maintainability.

For pressure vessel and process equipment, design optimization often focuses on code-compliant designs that minimize material weight, simplify fabrication through better weld accessibility, reduce machining requirements, or improve operational efficiency. Computational tools enable analysis of multiple design alternatives to identify optimal solutions.