Build SMART boosts CNC performance for walls with switch to AGACAD BIM tools

This North American offsite producer of energy-efficient wood-frame walls says switching to AGACAD’s Wood Framing solution for Revit® and CNC Exporter significantly enhanced its BIM-to-fabrication processes.

Client Profile

Build SMART LLC supports building projects across the U.S. and Canada with quality-controlled prefabricated walls from its Lawrence, Kansas factory, advanced design and engineering services, and logistics and construction coordination. Use of the latest BIM technologies is key for the company’s mission to deliver better buildings faster and more cost-effectively.

Business Need

High-performance buildings (and builders) demand great attention to detail. That’s why Build SMART makes its sophisticated wall systems in a climate-controlled factory with computer-driven machinery and a strict 26-step protocol for quality assurance and control.

But the company noticed inefficiencies in the link between its design work in Revit® – the leading software platform for Building Information Modelling – and its fabrication of walls using state-of-the-art Weinmann CNC machines, BIM Manager Paola Sanguinetti notes.

“Our focus is offsite construction using engineered lumber and we needed a tool to improve the BIM-to-fabrication process. It had to be customizable and easily integrated into our workflow,”
she says. A previous tool the company had tried did not meet the company’s needs.

Solution

Build SMART chose AGACAD’s Wood Framing Wall solution for Revit in tandem with a CNC export tool for Weinmann machines. “We switched to AGACAD because it had better integration from BIM to fabrication,” says Sanguinetti.

AGACAD Wood Framing tools are powerful BIM software for constructions with multi-layer timber-frame walls, floors, and roofs. Advanced automation and built-in best practices help make optimal choices, move much faster, and avoid errors – from design and documentation to fabrication and construction. It’s easy to batch-add, modify or mark elements or parameters, distribute details, manage openings and connections, and find clashes. Frames update and adapt to ensure that shop drawings and cut lists are always accurate.

AGACAD CNC Exporters automatically assemble all framing members as per user definitions and send all needed data and geometry to the relevant machine or production line for efficient prefabrication of wood structures. The exporters, currently for machines manufactured by Weinmann, Randek, and Hundegger, can be customized for users’ specific needs and adapted for other machines.

As it started using the AGACAD software, Build SMART’s team immediately noticed significant efficiency gains. “Exporting to the CNC, which before was a four-step process, now could be done with the click of a button,” the BIM Manager says. “This export tool reduced our production time and has the adaptability to meet our specific needs. It facilitates our processes.”

Sanguinetti says other advantages also soon became evident: “Automating the sheet layout was a huge benefit and AGACAD customized the sheathing integration for us, which we appreciated immensely. So we’ve reduced the time it takes to issue shop drawings and fabricate products.”

Finally, Build SMART is thrilled with the quality of the support, training, and ongoing consultations it gets from AGACAD. “We love Eve!”

Sanguinetti says of the BIM application engineer who helps the North American client get the most out of its AGACAD solutions. “She is very clear and thorough in her explanations and is there to respond whenever we have questions.”

Results

Prepared by Bryan Bradley of Textus Aptus.

This client relationship exemplifies the AGACAD ideal of “Building BIM Together!” After 29 years creating AEC technologies, AGACAD today is the developer of the world’s widest range of true BIM (Building Information Modeling/Management) software for Revit^® professionals, with 13,000+ users in 130 countries. Its three areas of focus are BIM Content Management & Classification, BIM for Prefabricated Construction, and Digital Asset Inventories & BIM for Facility Management.

For more information, contact us at info@agacad.com or +370 618 55 671.

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