Aluminium cassette facade specialist relies on dedicated software

In a relatively short time, the Belgian company Covrr has made quite a name for itself in the world of facade construction. For instance, the specialist in aluminium cassette facades helped upgrade the well-known hotel La Réserve in Knokke from four-star to five-star superior. The design was drawn up entirely in HiCAD, which, according to manager Anthony Bossuyt, proved to be of enormous added value for the turnaround time.

Covrr is a still young facade specialist and has been in existence for just under two years now. "We originated from the Publima Group," begins Anthony. "Publima specialises in illuminated advertising and from there we were regularly asked to also provide a piece of facade. However, that demand was growing. That made us decide to start a new company alongside it with a complete focus on the facade. With Covrr, we focus mainly on the cassette facade in aluminium composite, which we also had experience with from the illuminated advertising business."

Alucobond module

So another venture into a new business also meant we needed new software, says Anthony. "The software we use for illuminated advertising is not very suitable for drawing out facades. So we started looking for another package for Covrr. The software that immediately stood out was HiCAD. Especially because, in cooperation with Alucobond, they offer a module specifically for aluminium composite cassettes. That was really the deciding factor for me. This module offers enormous added value in terms of functionality, speed and precision. Every hole, every flap is in the software, which makes it very easy to draw out the facade. The software may be slightly more expensive, but the speed we gain from it is enormous."

3D-scans

Anthony also praises the other modules within HiCAD. "Among other things, we use the steel construction module for designing rear structures and the Point Cloud module that allows 3D scans to be loaded into the software. We can 3D scan a facade, barge it into HiCAD and then continue working on it. That saves us an awful lot of time, because measuring manually is a huge job for a lot of facades." Covrr experienced this recently at hotel La Réserve, which had to be renovated in six months. "We drew the entire new ceiling structure at the entrance hall in HiCAD and modelled it in 3D. The model was even used by the contractor for communication with the other subcontractors, such as fitting in the installations."

Huge added value

HiCAD has been of enormous added value at La Réserve, including towards production and execution. "We were able to saw some 2 tonnes of aluminium structure with only 2% loss. That's really minimal. The time savings from working in HiCAD are also second to none," notes Antony. "With one click, the complete list of materials comes up. That same file can be loaded one-by-one into the CNC machine. So we don't have to create additional drawings for production. Ideal." According to Anthony, HiCAD is relatively easy to learn. "You have to get the hang of it in the beginning, but once you understand the basics behind it, it is very easy. I myself took the training at ISD Group and afterwards trained my colleague myself in a fortnight."

Cooperation ISD

Anthony also appreciates the cooperation with ISD Group, the supplier of HiCAD. "The service is excellent, they are always available and ready to help. They are also open to feedback and have short lines of communication with the head office and the developers there. In that respect, we are very happy with the choice of HiCAD. In all respects."