Automated wall masonry

Optimal flow in prefab production

Innovation is at the heart of Danilith's history. Ever since its founding in 1921, the family business has strived for efficiency as well as quality. Since the 1960s, the company has been producing prefab houses. Initially these were simple bungalows, but now they are full-fledged houses with many complex shapes. Director Lucas Delmulle, grandson of the inventor of the building system Daniel Delmulle, explains the role played by smart automation.

Thanks to automation and precast know-how, Danilith now produces fully automated precast exterior walls. Robotic arms place bricks in the designed pattern from a conveyor belt. Next comes a layer of concrete, insulation material and finally another layer of concrete on top. After the wall has hardened, it is ready for transport. For proper communication between draftsmen and this machine, BIM4Production® is crucial. 

Automated from 3D drawing to IFC model

In 2020, Danitith switched from AutoCAD to Tekla. Delmulle: "Reason was the complex detailing of the walls. Our computers crashed because of the complexity of the individual bricks. In Tekla this went well, but here it was difficult to extract loose elements from the BIM model. BIM4Production® turned out to have the perfect solution for us. We can now fully parse the 3D drawing from Tekla and share an IFC model per element with our production machine." 

Easily zoom in on every detail

Before Danilith used BIM4Production®, the plant still worked with printed drawings. "This is generally not a problem for simple walls," said Delmulle. "But over time the elements became more complex and the need for detailed drawings on the shop floor grew. Digitization on the shop floor has now begun at Danilith. The BIM4Production® app is already being used at some workplaces. On this every production employee can easily scan every element with a tablet. Via the tablet, you view this element in 3D and can easily zoom in on any detail."

Continuous optimization

The use of BIM4Production® has become a necessity for production at Danilith. However, Delmulle sees multiple benefits and has big dreams for the future of his plant. "I am very happy with all the possibilities within the software. We now automatically check the quality of every element we make. This is crucial for our external quality assurance, in the Quality Assurance Act, for example. Internally, we certainly benefit from it as well. For example, during the production process we take pictures of each element at key moments. If something then goes wrong during production, we can see exactly what and where and adjust our processes accordingly. This has already greatly reduced our failure costs, but optimization obviously remains an ongoing process."

Working and environmental conditions

That Danilith takes pride in her work and stands for quality is evidenced in part by the fact that she installed a demo home on her own property. Here, visitors experience for themselves how the home feels and the level of finish. In addition to investing in this demo house, the organization is investing heavily in further optimization of the factory. Delmulle: "A recent example is the water cutter to cut insulation panels in such a way that they partially overlap each other and thus fit together even more tightly. This significantly improves working and environmental conditions. An additional advantage is that the production process is more efficient and the insulation value is higher. Thus, through continuous investment, Danilith wants to improve working conditions, save the environment and design its production in an increasingly sustainable way." 

Smart control

BIM4Production® guarantees an optimal flow from planning to logistics. Based on 3D BIM models (IFC), the software generates the most efficient workflow for all connected chain partners. BIM4Production® starts with transport planning and works backwards from there. Prefab elements must arrive at the construction site at the right time. BIM4Production® cleverly controls the production of the elements based on the desired delivery time. This efficient coordination between transport and production guarantees an optimal workflow at each site.