4 Strategies for Streamlined Fabrication of Wood and LGS Framing

In collaboration with Rishabh Arora

Is your company involved in both the design and fabrication of building components? If so, then you realize that maximizing efficiency at every step, from design through the manufacturing and delivery process, is crucial. Not only will it provide your company with a competitive advantage in the market, but it will empower you to deliver projects more quickly and cost effectively.

In this article we’ll look at how using digital solutions can help your company streamline the fabrication of your project’s framing – from choosing the right software tools and integrating 3D designs with equipment, to automating documentation and organizing delivery.

1.  Digitize your modeling process: Choosing the right software to design your models

As you digitize your processes to streamline the fabrication workflow, it’s important to use the right digital tools. Most companies choose to use Autodesk Revit, because out-of-the-box it integrates so well with other BIM tools.

Designing framing, however, with Revit’s base functionality is an altogether different matter. It can be time consuming, complicated and relatively inefficient, because some specific features that are needed are not available in Revit. Furthermore, there is not an easy way to manufacture your designs with “vanilla” Revit.

Framing is the building’s skeleton: walls, floors, ceilings, etc. The frame’s beams and columns bear the load of the building itself and its occupants. Typical frame materials are either wood or steel. Revit users can leverage add-on framing software specifically designed for the purpose of streamlining the design, coordination and fabrication of framing

It is crucial to choose the right add-on software to design your framing. Creating accurate designs is a consideration, as well as ensuring that your model is able to integrate with other digital tools used throughout the process. You don’t want your model to end up becoming a data silo.

Motivated by these reasons, Revit users can leverage framing software that is specifically developed for a project’s wood or metal framing. Framing software allows users to accelerate the design process, while creating models that are optimized for fabrication.

Revit add-ons/plug-ins, such as MWF Pro Metal framing software, offer tools and features capable of automating tedious and repetitive processes, while enabling automatic clash detection to improve collaboration between cross-functional teams.

Model, coordinate, engineer, and manufacture your framing with Revit-based Strucsoft solutions. Contact GRAITEC today to learn more.

2.  Integrate with manufacturing equipment

An often debilitating challenge for Revit users is how to link 3D designs into the company’s manufacturing equipment. Whether or not you are using Revit, this can become complicated. Framing software, however, is designed specifically to simplify this process.

Creating a well optimized model is only the first step. The challenge is to link the 3D design file into the CNC machinery, panelizing machine or wood saw. A user cannot simply drag and drop a Revit file into the machine’s controller.

Framing software simplifies this process. It converts 3D models into a format that can be understood by manufacturing equipment and generates code that provides instructions to manufacturing equipment for various operations, for instance notching, knock-outs and member labels. Thus, framing software enables a more simplified and smarter manufacturing process.

3.  Generate construction documentation

The process doesn’t stop after components are fabricated. Construction documentation such as material takeoffs, shop drawings and reports serve as a blueprint, helping teams with the construction process from start to finish.

Whether your company assembles components offsite in a controlled factory setting or onsite, construction documentation ensures a smooth and efficient assembly process. With the detailed material takeoffs, shop drawings and reports automatically generated by framing software, manual work can be reduced and the chances of human error mitigated.

4.  Streamline manufacturing logistics

For the fabrication-related process and logistics, companies can gain greater efficiency and quality control with a tool that helps them streamline by:

• editing CNC code;
• providing templates for stacking and bundling wall panels;
• organizing panel loading on trucks for transport.

After the components are manufactured, it’s important to organize them for transport to the job site. Especially if you are an offsite/modular company, you may be shipping hundreds or thousands of panels from your factory to the job site. You need to make sure they are transported in a systematic manner and you are able to monitor them throughout the process.

Strucsoft Onyx is an example of a product designed to do just that, taking over where MWF leaves off. Not only does Onyx streamline the fabrication process and logistics, it allows teams to configure how panels will be bundled together and stacked on a truck, enabling maximum organization on the job site. Using Onyx, users can generate QR codes to track each panel or component, making sure there is no gap from the factory to the job site.

Streamlining the fabrication process in the construction industry is crucial for achieving efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality assurance. Using these four strategies with products like Strucsoft MWF Pro Metal, MWF Pro Wood and Onyx, you can empower your company for a competitive advantage in the market.

Request your free trial of Strucsoft solutions for offsite builders. Contact GRAITEC today to talk to an expert about setting up your trial, including software orientation at no extra charge.