Back to Profile

Modelling the future since 1986. We help construction and manufacturing professionals achieve their digital transformation goals by providing BIM and Industry 4.0 software and consultancy.

Contact partner

Success Story

Byrom Associates Steels Itself for the Future with Autodesk Detailing Software

Byrom Associates Steels Itself for the Future with Autodesk Detailing Software

Customer challenge

In the past, Byrom Associates used the Autodesk AutoCAD® 2D drafting tool to detail that steelwork manually. While AutoCAD is an excellent tool, in this context, it was being used as part of a time-consuming error-prone manual process. As Chris Hurst, Byrom Associates, points out: “We used to produce all our steel fabrication drawings by hand. We were mainly using AutoCAD to do 2D line drawings and draw the steel elements one at a time, line by line. There was no 3D model and that made the checking process difficult and time-consuming.” Also, because the work was carried out in 2D, if the detailer made a mistake, it would only get picked up when the timber frame with embedded steel was installed. As a result, the considerable expense was incurred.

Project goals

Byrom Associates is, to a large extent, a timber framing company; it was its steelwork process that was slowing it down and proving a block on productivity. This understanding led Byrom Associates to buy Autodesk® Advance Steel, a 3D package that Byrom Associates now uses to do all its steel modelling and fabrication detailing. The choice was intuitive. Advance Steel is effectively built on top of AutoCAD. It, therefore, wasn’t a difficult product for Byrom Associates and its designers, who were already familiar with Autodesk® AutoCAD Architecture software, to adapt to the solution.

Solution

Byrom Associates decided to work with Autodesk reseller, Graitec, to deliver Autodesk Advance Steel and support it and provide training. Graitec’s level of expertise regarding the Autodesk software and steel detailing generally was a key factor behind the decision. Graitec ran a demonstration of Autodesk Advance Steel for Byrom Associates, including how it would benefit them as a company. Graitec also delivered five days of training on the product. It has also provided Advance Steel technical support as part of a rolling 12-month support contract which has been used significantly. In addition, Graitec has customised drawing outputs for Byrom Associates. By making Advance Steel available to them, Graitec has helped increase the level of automation that Byrom Associates use. It has effectively taken what users get out of the box with Advance Steel and then tailored it to what Byrom Associates wants as an output.

Business outcome

The main benefit of using Advance Steel is its high-quality 3D modelling capability. The consultancy can create a 3D model of the steelwork and bring it back into its timber frame model. Byrom Associates now uses Advance Steel on nearly all its projects. Using it to ensure steel elements are of the right size and will fit in notches and support points their designers create in the timber frame for those elements. The consultancy also reports that output - from automatic drawings to bills of materials and loading lists - is of much higher quality. Added to that, the fact that Advance Steel is a 3D modelling tool enables Byrom Associates to conduct clash detection and ensure problems are ironed about before they get to the site. It can also deliver fabrication output automatically. Once the modelling is done, the system will produce all the drawing output automatically. That capability reduces the time spent on steelwork on a typical project from around a week to approximately a day.

Conclusion

Byrom is now also taking advantage of Advance Steel's 3D modelling and automatic output to create and detail their Glulam structural timber projects. These are structural elements connected with bolts and steel plates, so it doesn’t matter to the software that it’s a timber beam, not a steel beam. According to Hurst: “We have also had comments back from the site, highlighting how much better the steel kits were fitting since we started using Advance Steel. The drawings are of higher quality, and you can access multiple part drawings also, making life much easier for the fabricators.” It is yet further evidence of the close partnership between the two companies and Byrom Associates ongoing belief in the capability both of Graitec and Autodesk’s steelwork design software.

Project summary

    Duration & delivery

  • 7
  • 2020-06-30

    Autodesk solutions

  • Advance Steel
  • Architecture
  • Engineering & Construction Collection

    Services provided

  • System Implementation
  • Configuration & Deployment
  • Product Training
  • Technical Support

    Customer industry

  • Construction
More success stories

Graitec and Autodesk Combine to Help Penta Rise to the CAM Machining Challenge

Penta Precision Engineering is a specialist engineering company focused on providing a high-quality precision machining service to customers to an ISO 9001 quality accredited standard. The company works for customers across a wide range of industry sectors from aerospace to marine equipment, from medical devices to military cameras and manages machining requirements for these businesses, using modern computer numerical control (CNC) machines, quick set tooling and fixtures and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) techniques to ensure designs meet exacting client requirements and deliver quality parts, including jigs and fixtures. The company needed to continuously evolve its tooling design to keep up with industry demands and the requirements of its mainly project-based customers.

View

Graitec helps Visivo optimise Autodesk 3ds Max to deliver high-performance gym designs

Visivo is a 3D animation company specialising in 3D visualisations, fly-through animations, and virtual reality (VR) representations of gyms. Visivo’s work enables gym owners or franchisees to visualise their gym designs more clearly, especially during the pre-sale period of a new franchise opening. The company uses 3D computer graphics software from Autodesk to carry out this work. In doing so, it draws on training and support provided by Autodesk platinum partner, Graitec. To be successful, Visivo needs to showcase to gym owners and franchisees how their gym might look if various design options are taken. That process of experimentation is key in the earliest stages of design as a new gym takes shape, and it will also be instrumental in how the gym looks in the future.

View

Adoption of Automation to Reduce Time Spent on Design Tasks and Reduce Errors

Visobath is dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of bathroom furniture, thanks to effort and innovation, has become a benchmark in the furniture industry. Since its inception in Visobath, they have worked to offer the best solutions for the bathroom of their customers with innovative and quality products and good service and customer support. In Visohome Group, a business group to which Visobath belongs, Covid-19 has significantly impacted working. They decided to review all jobs, establish protocols to guarantee the safety of their workers and, fundamentally, promote the use of telematics tools. The biggest challenge they have faced at the organizational level has been the adaptation to remote teamwork, so they have implemented tools so that the computer can stay connected.

View

By accessing and using Partner Finder, you acknowledge and agree to the following Additional Terms as referenced in the Website Terms of Use: (i) Partner Finder may be modified, updated, interrupted, limited, suspended, or discontinued at any time without notice or liability; (ii) any query or request for information regarding a specific provider or provider services may be forwarded to that provider, however Autodesk in its discretion may retain a record to conduct business analytics to improve Partner Finder and other Autodesk products and services; (iii) Autodesk has no obligation to enforce any terms on your behalf against another user; and (iv) any feedback you provide in connection with a provider, including ratings or reviews, is a non-confidential “Submission” as defined in the Website Terms of Use. You are advised to conduct your own independent analysis and assessment of any information provided by or though Partner Finder, including whether a selected provider is appropriate for your particular circumstances. Without limiting the Website Terms of Use, Autodesk does not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any service advertised or offered by a provider through Partner Finder or any hyperlinked website or service. Autodesk is not liable for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions you may take based on information provided by, or through, this site. You release Autodesk and its affiliates and subsidiaries from all liability arising from your use of Partner Finder, including any hyperlinked website, service, or content.

This page has been translated for your convenience using a machine translation service. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation; however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace human translators. As a result, this translation may contain errors and inaccuracies. Autodesk provides no warranties, either express or implied, about the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the machine translation and disclaims all liability for any losses or damages caused by, or resulting from your reliance on, this translation. The English version of this website is the official version.