Tag Archives: Lifecycle

Bar Code Tracking with StruM.I.S

Bar code data-collection systems provide huge benefits during the manufacturing and processing stages of fabrication. Murray & Roberts subsidiary company, Genrec, has extended these benefits further by tracking individual items within large scale projects.

The bar code data-collection solution enables faster and more accurate data capturing with lower costs, minimised mistakes and easier data management through the StruM.I.S system including site materials and piece tracking.

A successful installation simplifies fabrication management

With Genrec’s principal RSA steel fabrication site in Wadeville, covering over 55,000m2 of undercover workshops and open areas, tracking of materials and fabricated items represented a major issue.

As StruM.I.S users they had already decided to extend shop floor feedback automation through bar coding for an optimised workflow and real time tracking. This implementation has been highly successful for quite some time and has shown real benefits in terms of processing steel through production efficiently and gaining the most out of the management  system; StruM.I.S.

Overcoming the growing pains

Following successes in several large projects around the world, Genrec has become the main contract steelwork fabricator for a substantial domestic infrastructure project. This resulted in the need to develop their own onsite fabrication facilities alongside the creation of a lay down storage area covering an area larger than that of five soccer pitches!

The sheer size of this storage area created a number of traceability issues for both raw materials and fabricated items and as such Genrec approached AceCad to see if it was possible to create a way of implementing bar coding through StruM.I.S into a new onsite process to enable complete onsite traceability.

GPS location of items enables accurate location on demand

Following development work between Genrec and the AceCad team, StruM.I.S is now able to use the bar code tracking functionality through a specially designed interface to track all site movement of materials and fabricated items.

Originally, the brief given by Genrec required the ability to scan items into the Production Delivery notes to define that these items were leaving the fabrication facility and headed for the site. Once the shipment is received at the site, the items are then scanned again as a confirmation of receipt to ensure that they have not been lost during transit. On confirmation, StruM.I.S will recognise the location, including GPS coordinates, for easy onsite traceability throughout the entire construction process.

Speaking on behalf of Genrec a spokesman commented; ‘With StruM.I.S, we have a system that enables us to manage projects from start to finish. Now with the extended bar coding functionality and the automation that this delivers we are able to benefit from the system more and more throughout our projects.’

AceCad Software releases StruM.I.S V8.1

AceCad Software is pleased to announce the release of StruM.I.S V8.1, our latest steelwork fabrication management system designed to meet needs of medium and larger sized steelwork contractors. StruM.I.S V8.1 includes many new features to operate steel fabrication sites more efficiently, with greater flexibility and offering enhanced functionality.

StruM.I.S V8.1 new features overview

  • New 64 bit architecture
  • New, more user friendly setup wizard, including updated material and cross references
  • Improved revision management functionality
  • Enhanced plate logic
  • Ability to review drawings and documents at all levels
  • Latest BIMReview, model viewer embedded
  • BIMReview CAD Interfaces for Tekla and SDS/2
  • Partial Work Order Issuing

What are the business benefits of StruM.I.S V8.1?

  • Even easier and more user friendly to use
  • Pre populated with material libraries – ready to implement
  • Greater flexibility through enhanced enquiries and estimating tools
  • Superior control at every level of production
  • Revisions can be created at any stage of production
  • Advanced levels of referencing and visualisation through BIMReview
  • Cost reduction, with enhanced traceability and process control
  • Option to install add-ins for Tekla and SDS/2
  • Saves time, reduces laborious tasks and minimises human error

With the release of StruM.I.S V8.1, AceCad Software emphasizes its commitment to delivering the very best in integrated data management and visualisation tools for the steel sector. Simon Inman, Technical Director for AceCad Software, commenting on the release said, “StruM.I.S V8.1 delivers even greater business advantages for steelwork contractors across their steelwork projects. Users will benefit from new levels of functionality to deliver instant decision support across projects. This latest exciting release is in line with our aim to enable, through our software, our users to utilize their Information to deliver real time Knowledge to make Powerful decisions”.

FREE Webinar – Steel Purchasing

You can now optimise your steel procurement with StruM.I.S – More accuracy, reduced waste, costs savings!


StruM.I.S integrates your structural steel procurement with live contracts and enables the management of suppliers, with pricing and nesting automatically completed and all costs allocated for analysis.

Structural steel construction businesses need to purchase wisely and efficiently to deliver successful returns. The structural steel purchasing function is critical and often complicated by multiple simultaneous project requirements. StruM.I.S allows the management of suppliers and integration of purchasing for more accuracy, less waste and ultimately to save you money!

Watch our FREE webinar to find out how purchasing using StruM.I.S could benefit your business:

StruM.I.S purchasing and suppliers module features include:

  • Purchasing and supplier materials database
  • Wizard driven – linear and plate nesting/multing (optional), incorporating multi-suppliers, bevel nesting and butt welding
  • Visual nest representation and analysis
  • Request for Quotation (RFQ) and saved nest retrieval
  • Electronic Data Interface (EDI) with Suppliers
  • Automated Purchase Order generation
  • Purchase Order receipts enables good inwards management
  • Materials Classification, facilitating CE compliance, returns, damaged goods, etc.
  • Return to supplier for damaged or unwanted goods

Meet AceCad at Autodesk University

AceCad Software will be participating at Autodesk University at Mandalay Bay, 27-29 November, 2012, Las Vegas, United States.

Autodesk University is a great venue to increase knowledge about the latest technologies and advanced software for the AEC industry, and we look forward to being a part of it!

This annual event, consisting of classes, seminars and an exhibition is designed to update delegates on the latest development in Design Visualisation, BIM (Building Information Modeling), and Design leadership coupled with Innovation policies.  We look forward to showcasing our BIM solutions suite and meeting likeminded professionals ready to take their BIM designs into construction.

AceCad Software will be exhibiting on our Booth 1304 and will show delegates how by using our products your business can achieve cost savings, better productivity and increased returns from BIM.

If you are planning on attending, this is a great opportunity for you to join our USA team who will introduce you to BIMProject, our new data management product that enhances and optimizes the use of BIM through construction projects.

BIMProject is a powerful tool and provides you high performance BIM model interaction combined with rich data that delivers real-time project status to your business and your supplier. BIMProject will enable business change and assist you in delivering knowledge, power and information across your project execution.

We look forward to meeting existing clients and visitors to the event and helping your business to succeed. We welcome any advance meeting reservation request on marketing@accecadsoftware.com

BIM is the word…

BIM or Building Information Modelling to those who aren’t too acronym savvy, is a process involving the coordination of all the digital information surrounding a project throughout the entire lifecycle; from initial 3D render through to project completion and beyond.

BIM is the way forward, it’s the way to gain better results in a faster time and BIM is now.

AceCad Software has the answer to all of your BIM needs and with a portfolio of software under our belt we’re sinking our teeth right into the heart of BIM and what it does. AECMagazine’s own Greg Corke, when reviewing our BIMProject software, says:

‘The BIM model has a huge role to play throughout, providing a 3D context for the vast database of information that sits behind it. It can give visual feedback on the status of individual procurement and tracking different phases… rather than having to interpret the entries in a database or spreadsheet.’

’BIMProject is a brand new information management tool that uses Building Information Modelling (BIM) models to help manage and control procurement workflows all the way to construction. Even if a co-ordinated BIM model is used during design, once a project reaches the tendering and procurement stage, the BIM model is often discarded’ comments Greg Corke.

He continues, ’managing the vast amount of information that flows between principal contractor and sub contractors in the tendering, procurement and delivery stages can cause a major headache. While there are tools that touch parts of the tender to construction workflow, BIMProject is the only tool we can think of that looks to connect everything up to a single BIM model. It is certainly an exciting development

BIM allows project coordination through departments for the entire project, offering managing and operational control through digitally testing the design of the building and ensuring increased accuracy in costs, eliminating errors, reducing risk and tracking every detail of the project throughout the construction lifecycle.