As a leading, forward-thinking supplier, Van Hoesel has been at the forefront since 1965 in the design, production, installation and maintenance of aluminium window frames and curtain walls. Traditional craftsmanship is still very much alive, now combined with digitalisation and automation. They make grateful use of HiCAD, not only to work more efficiently, but also to keep delivering the highest levels of quality and reliability to their clients.
Van Hoesel has been working with HiCAD for about six years now. “The big advantage of HiCAD is that it combines a mechanical-engineering foundation with architectural applications,” says COO Ruud Baelemans. “Our products, aluminium window frames and curtain walls, are mechanical in essence, but the application is strongly building-related. HiCAD therefore fits our needs perfectly: it allows us to secure both the technical precision of our frames and the building-physics interfaces.”
From standard package to customisation
Van Hoesel initially started with HiCAD’s standard package, supplemented with several modules such as Metal Engineering, IFC export and the NCX driver to control machines directly. “We soon realised we wanted more,” Baelemans says enthusiastically. “Together with ISD Benelux, we developed custom features to enrich the information going into BIM. The basics fell short. In HiCAD we couldn’t, at batch level, attach the right information to a frame or curtain wall. Think of attributes such as window handles or hinges, but also crucial data like U-values, glazing details and visual elements. This way, our clients receive not only an accurate model, but also a clear picture of what will be built.”
Springboard to internal innovation
The custom solution became a springboard for internal innovation. “A colleague with an interest in programming delved into scripting and developed an in-house tool that automatically places frames in models,” Baelemans explains. “This delivers a huge time saving. Where we previously had to place hundreds or even a thousand frames manually in a model, error-prone and time-consuming, this now happens fully automatically. For projects with as many as 1,200 frames, it means we’re no longer dependent on scarce engineering capacity.”
Indispensable in our organisation
With this approach, Van Hoesel has realised impressive projects in recent years, highly efficiently. Recent eye-catchers include the frames, curtain walls and extensive sheet-metal work for Duwo in Amsterdam, as well as curtain walls and frames for Franciscus Hospital in Rotterdam. A high-rise project like Blaak 333 and the university of applied sciences in Rotterdam, with panes measuring no less than 8 by 3 metres, also demonstrate the façade builder’s ambition and expertise. “Today, we simply can’t imagine our work without HiCAD. It enables us to deliver projects faster, more accurately and with richer information. That strengthens our distinctiveness and keeps us the progressive partner we’ve been since 1965,” Baelemans concludes.
