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piblaster: Browser-based P&ID editor with live bill of materials, symbol library, and easy exports.
piblaster is a browser-based engineering application designed specifically for process engineers, plant designers, and engineering teams who need a faster and more practical way to create P&ID and process flow diagrams. Instead of relying on complex desktop software, complicated workflows, or separate tools for managing diagrams and documentation, piblaster brings the essential parts of P&ID engineering into a single web application. Users can create R&I diagrams directly in their browser, place standardized symbols, connect equipment and instruments, and automatically generate a bill of materials as the diagram is being built.
The core idea behind piblaster is simple: make plant engineering documentation faster, easier, and more connected. The application provides a ready-to-use symbol library based on DIN EN ISO 10628, including common equipment and components such as vessels, pumps, heat exchangers, valves, and instruments. Symbols can be selected and placed directly onto the drawing canvas, while automatic tagging helps keep components organized. This allows engineers to spend more time designing their process and less time dealing with repetitive documentation tasks.
One of piblaster's most useful features is its live bill of materials. Every time a symbol is added to a P&ID, it can automatically appear in the bill of materials with information such as its tag, description, category, size, and material. When the diagram changes, the corresponding information in the bill of materials can be updated as well. This creates a direct connection between the engineering drawing and the documentation generated from it, reducing the need to maintain separate lists manually and helping teams keep project information consistent.
The application is designed around a familiar browser-based editor. The interface places the symbol library on one side, the drawing canvas in the center, and the bill of materials on the other side, allowing users to work with the diagram and its associated data without constantly switching between different screens or applications. The editor also supports symbol search and favorites, multi-page drawings, drawing frames, automatically generated instrument tag bubbles, and project locking for environments where multiple users may work with the same project.
piblaster also provides practical export options for engineering documentation. Completed projects and their associated information can be exported as PDF files, while bill of materials data can be exported as CSV. This makes it easier to share drawings with clients, colleagues, contractors, or other departments and to continue working with component information in familiar tools such as spreadsheets.
Another important advantage is that piblaster works across different operating systems and devices. Because the application runs entirely in a modern web browser, users can create and manage P&ID drawings on Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad, and Android tablets without installing specialized desktop software. The same project, symbols, and bill of materials can be accessed across devices. Desktop users can take advantage of keyboard shortcuts, while tablet users can work with touch controls.
The browser-based approach also eliminates many of the traditional barriers associated with engineering software. There is no complicated installation process, no requirement for administrator permissions, and no need to tie a license to a specific computer. Updates can be delivered automatically, allowing everyone on a team to work with the same version of the application. According to piblaster, project data is stored in Germany and handled in compliance with the GDPR, providing an additional focus on data protection for European engineering teams.
piblaster is particularly suited to plant engineering and process engineering environments involving reactors, mixing vessels, dosing systems, hygienic processes, and other industrial applications. The platform supports DIN EN ISO 10628 symbols and includes common engineering requirements such as stainless steel materials including 1.4404 and 1.4571, Tri-Clamp connections, DIN flanges, nominal sizes, pressure ratings, multi-page drawing frames, and PDF or spreadsheet-based bills of materials.
The application was created from practical experience in plant construction and engineering. The team behind piblaster explains that they had previously tested established P&ID solutions but found many of them unnecessarily complicated for their needs. They also found that bill of materials management, PDF printing, and data export could be unnecessarily difficult. In addition, expensive licensing models made it challenging to provide every member of an engineering team with access to the software. piblaster was created as a leaner alternative that focuses on the parts engineers actually need.
