To build more efficiently and quickly and minimize failure costs, more and more contractors and installers are opting for prefabrication. For Nijhof Installation Technology, prefabrication has also become an essential link in the installation process.
Nijhof Installation Technology is a leading full-service installation company, focusing on (production) residential and apartment construction, primarily in the eastern and central Netherlands. The company, which, like Willemsen Installation, Habel Installation, and Salland Installation Service, is part of the Nijhof Group, excels in sustainable technologies. "We are constantly looking for promising initiatives and solutions to build as sustainably and energy-efficiently as possible," says Technical Director Rutger Beeuwkes.
All the possibilities in this area are also proudly presented in our Sustainability Inspiration Center. Here, contractors, housing associations, and (private) residents can learn about and gain inspiration in the areas of energy, heating, cooling, and ventilation.
So, what are the options? In our Sustainability Inspiration Center, we demonstrate numerous climate control systems, including a geothermal heat pump, an air-source heat pump, and their associated control technologies. We have also constructed a section of roof, clearly demonstrating the difference between surface-mounted PV panels and in-roof systems. We also display various related products, such as insulation materials and facade grilles.
Our connection kit for heat pumps is unique. To ensure fast, efficient, and error-free installation on-site, we have developed a prefabricated panel with a buffer tank, pump, and underfloor heating manifold, to which all piping can be easily and plug-and-play connected. The prefabricated module is fully prepared in our prefabrication workshop, where the sewer and ventilation ducts are also prefabricated.
To ensure fast, efficient, and error-free installation on-site, Nijhof Installation Technology has developed a prefabricated panel with a buffer tank, pump, and underfloor heating manifold, to which all piping can be easily connected in a plug-and-play manner.
Prefabrication
Serial housing and apartment construction lends itself perfectly to prefabrication, Beeuwkes emphasizes. "To further enhance this, we updated our workshop last year to a prefabrication hall, with in-house developed gluing tables for sewer and ventilation pipes, a semi-automatic sawing machine, and various saw carts for pipe materials. We also optimized our design software. By prefabricating, we can guarantee consistently high quality. The products are prefabricated under the best (climate) conditions, under ideal working conditions, and with all the necessary tools within easy reach. Thanks to the use of special transport containers, assemblers only need to handle the materials once."
The Sustainability Inspiration Center will showcase climate demonstrations, including a geothermal heat pump, air heat pump, and associated control technologies.
From 2D to 3D
Good preparation is essential for prefabrication, he explains. "In most cases, we receive the contractor's sales drawings, including selected options, which we convert in-house into feasible prefabricated product drawings. Previously, this was primarily done in 2D/AutoCAD, but a shift has now begun to 3D/Revit. As an organization, we're eager to embrace this trend. We're fully engaged in the transition to 3D/Revit, which offers several advantages. For example, a 3D design provides even greater insight, giving our engineers a clearer understanding of what needs to be manufactured."
Following Stabicad for Autocad, Nijhof Installation Technology has recently started using Stabicad for Revit. This latest software program from Trimble, in particular, is designed to quickly and easily design, manage, and verify installations. The software includes a prefab module with handy tools for quickly and efficiently creating prefab sets. Beeuwkes is very pleased with this module and the extensive Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) content library.
Up-to-date and reliable product data is essential for prefabrication, he explains. "Thanks to the MEP content library, a Revit expert creating and maintaining product families is no longer necessary. This significantly reduces our workload. Moreover, the Trimble software offers numerous useful features. We use the software to draw our pipes and installations. We also clean up the architectural drawings, assemble prefabricated sets, and generate material lists, which are automatically forwarded to the plastic pipe supplier via our Gilde software program. Together with Trimble account manager Leo van der Kolk, we recently optimized the Revit templates from generic to company-specific. Now it's time for refinement: which steps can be further optimized in the future? Leo is actively involved in this process. We greatly appreciate this involvement and elevate our (prefabricated) services to an even higher level."
