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Termotex S.A. Transforms Business and Streamlines Workflows with Modelling, Collaboration, Mixed Reality, and Layout Technology from Trimble

Published Date
Author Tonia Steciuk

 

© Termotex SA 2021

“Trimble has helped us transform our business and given us an ability to work in a way that eliminates waste, fosters collaboration, drives efficiency and is unmatched by the competition. We are excited to be part of integrating this game-changing technology around the world.”  Andres Casanova, CEO Termotex

"Connected Construction" Approach Increases Productivity by 50% and Reduces Labor Costs by 60%

Overview
Termotex S.A. is an innovative, international company that specializes in the design, integration, prefabrication and assembly of industrialized insulating construction systems with millimeter precision. With more than 15 years of experience, Termotex S.A. has offices in Panama, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Dominican Republic and the United States and aspires to become the main provider of this type of system in America. As a forward-thinking company, Termotex is committed to investing in construction technology that can improve the company’s processes and drive overall growth. By tapping into a wide range of Trimble solutions and taking a connected construction approach, Termotex S.A. is optimizing its processes and delivering unmatched accuracy, efficiency and quality.  

© Termotex SA 2021


Challenge
Until recently, Termotex S.A. has always needed both a project engineer and a quality control inspector on site to help coordinate crews, decipher blueprints, and check the 2D blueprints and match them to the 3D construction at the site. Even so, this was often not enough to avoid the mistakes and clashes that resulted from having incorrect or outdated information. 
To help overcome this challenge, the company started creating BIM designs themselves and switched to tablets instead of paper blueprints on the job site, which helped avoid some mistakes.

However, Andres Casanova, CEO and owner of Termotex S.A., knew that even having a good BIM model alone was not enough to increase speed and precision in their construction projects. He was looking for a way to use a combination of technologies and new workflows that would enable automation and data-sharing from start to finish. He also wanted to use mixed reality as a better way to leverage their BIM models in the context of the actual jobsite throughout the entire construction process. 

Solution
Termotex adopted multiple Trimble technology solutions to maximize constructive data and real-time collaboration for the entire design, build and operate lifecycle. Beginning with Trimble Tekla Structures for BIM design, Termotex S.A. designers and engineers can now create comprehensive, information-rich 3D models that contain all of the data needed to build and maintain a structure. Precise geometries help uncover issues earlier, and data-rich components mirror physical components to help ensure designs translate to reality. Termotex S.A. also uses Trimble SysQue to create a constructible MEP model based on real-world, manufacturing-specific content that is ready for fabrication. 

By taking a connected construction approach, Termotex extends BIM beyond design by using the same building data in the field and connecting it to Trimble Robotic Total Stations for layout. The RPT600 with Trimble Field Link’s automated functions and guided workflows helps Termotex S.A. workers in the field identify the exact locations on site that correspond to points in the model with incredible precision.

“With Trimble’s RPT600, we can measure positions faster, easily and more accurately, and with fewer people on site,” said Casanova. 

When it’s time for assembly, Trimble Connect for HoloLens, a mixed reality solution, allows Termotex S.A. workers in the field to blend real world objects with digital holograms, visualizing the constructible model by overlaying it on the physical environment, which helps ensure quality control. 

© Termotex SA 2021

Termotex uses Trimble Connect for HoloLens to verify the correct assembly of structural cold formed steel (CFS) coded parts.The models appear as holograms overlaid on the site, enabling workers to compare design intent to the actual installation, instantly flagging any mistakes or discrepancies. As a result, Termotex S.A. never has to use blueprints or tape measures again for project delivery. 

“Using Trimble Connect for HoloLens, we can visualize the spatial relations between objects and interact with the projected holograms in real time to rapidly identify problems, make changes and collaborate with remote stakeholders. We can also track every step from a remote office, to ensure that any prefabricated part will be put in the right place at the right time,” said Casanova.

“This is proof that you don’t need a big budget to use technology for the best results. With Trimble, we are taking advantage of technology and working in a way that is integrated, data-driven and connected." Andres Casanova, CEO Termotex

Results
From design to the field, Trimble’s solutions leverage constructible data for real-time collaboration so that every person, phase and process work together seamlessly. By collaborating with connected solutions and implementing processes that liberate data and break down silos, Termotex S.A. has improved its workflows across all stakeholders and is able to deliver projects with meticulous accuracy.

With Trimble Connect for HoloLens, Termotex S.A. has already seen a 100% return on investment and gained an additional $10,000 in profit resulting from the time saved on having the steel profiles and MEP inspected with this technology instead of traditional methods. The company has also saved money by significantly limiting the amount of mistakes during the assembly process that could have cost more if they were not discovered until the final phase of the project.

© Termotex SA 2021

Using a combination of Trimble technologies, Termotex S.A. is able to complete work with 60% fewer people and 50% faster, and has also won more business as a result. In addition, the company can get within 3-5mm of accuracy on any dimension on all projects, which would be impossible to match with traditional methods. 

Termotex S.A. plans to scale their implementation of these technologies to more projects. Company leaders believe that in addition to superintendents or inspectors, every person that works on an assembly process should use this technology to get the right information the first time and get the job done faster. 

“This is proof that you don’t need a big budget to use technology for the best results. With Trimble, we are taking advantage of technology and working in a way that is integrated, data-driven and connected,” said Casanova. “Trimble has helped us transform our business and given us an ability to work in a way that eliminates waste, fosters collaboration, drives efficiency and is unmatched by the competition. We are excited to be part of integrating this game-changing technology around the world.” 

Thank you to Andres Casanova, CEO at Termotex and the entire Termotex team.