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1,000 Systemair ventilation products are 3D-modelled in MagiCloud BIM library
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Designers can simply drop products directly into their building design projects
Swedish company Systemair is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of ventilation products to the building industry. With nearly 5,000 employees working across 47 countries, Systemair has been profitable every year since its founding 42 years ago. Its product base ranges from energy-efficient fans, to air handling units, to products for air distribution, air conditioning and heating. In its last financial year, it was a 5.9 billion SEK (48 million GBP) business.
As the building industry evolves, one of Systemair’s secrets is to stay at the cutting edge of technical trends. The latest trend in construction is BIM – building information modelling.
Mikael Karlsmyr, Manager Market Communication, Systemair, said: “It’s absolutely critical that Systemair builds avenues into the growing business of BIM. Designers, in the process of drawing their plans for a building, are using CAD-based software solutions like AutoCad and Revit. As they create plans for large, public buildings like hospitals, schools or shopping centres, there are a huge number of ventilation components that will make up their plans. If Systemair’s products are modelled in 3D with all technical information sitting alongside the model, designers can literally plug models of our products directly into their plans. When plans are complete, a shopping list can be created with our products on it. This functionality gives an advantage for Systemair products over any ventilation component not included in the BIM library.”
Progman has long collated 3D product models from 200 manufacturers in its leading design tool, MagiCAD. BIM, as a market, is expected to reach US $11.54 billion by 2022, according to a report published in December 2015 by Transparency Market Research. Massive growth in this market, forecasted anywhere from 17 – 19 per cent CAGR, will be attributed to new offerings of cloud-based BIM services. To answer this need, in 2016 Progman released www.MagiCloud.com, Europe’s largest BIM library for MEP products (mechanical, electrical and plumbing). MagiCloud includes more than one million BIM products. It blends the functionality of MagiCAD with the convenience of the cloud.
“We have been working systematically with MagiCAD – and now the cloud-based tool MagiCloud – to model all of our product inventory, upwards of 1,000 products,” said Karlsmyr.
The demand for BIM comes not only from MEP designers. Consultant engineers are responsible for designing ventilation systems. And in some countries, contractors themselves have direct responsibility over designs. BIM is an approach that all the key stakeholders can benefit from, because it improves communication and collaboration across teams.
“Sometimes we get a request directly for a product. Within two weeks the product can be modelled in 3D and all its accompanying technical data uploaded into the library.”
“Offering BIM is ultimately about making work for designers easier and more streamlined, so they can keep their own costs down,” said Karlsmyr.
From Systemair’s viewpoint, a BIM-based approach also enables them to support customers after the sale. “Having detailed technical product information in the cloud makes it easier for customers after delivery of the product. Instructions, spare parts orders, and other customer services can be included. By using BIM, we can be more supportive of our customers. The customer is the most important part of Systemair’s business,” concluded Karlsmyr.
Systemair in brief
Systemair is a leading ventilation company with operations in 47 countries in Europe, North- and South America, the Middle East, Asia and South Africa. The Company had sales of SEK 5.9 billion in financial year 2014/15 and currently employs about 4,700 people. Systemair has reported an operating profit every year since 1974, when the Company was founded. During the past 15 years, the Company’s growth rate has averaged about 13 percent.
Systemair has well-established operations in growth markets. The Group’s products are marketed under the Systemair, Frico, VEAB, Fantech, Menerga and Holland Heating brands. Systemair shares have been quoted on the Mid Cap List of the OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm since October 2007. The Group comprises about 60 companies.
About Progman
Progman Oy is a Finnish software company with more than 30 years of experience in developing solutions for the building services industry, specialising in products and services for the design of heating, piping, ventilation, sprinkler, and electrical systems. Since 2014, Progman Oy is part of the Glodon Group, the leading construction software company in China.
Read more about Progman here