How to Make MEP Fabrication Faster and Easier

For mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) fabricators, the building information modeling (BIM) process appears to be here to stay. After over two decades of Autodesk Revit evolution, an increasing number of MEP companies are using a BIM process for better workflows and easier production of fabrication deliverables. A recent Dodge Data & Analytics report highlighted that over half of MEP and structural engineers that use BIM are using it on over half of their projects. In addition, they anticipate increasing that to 80% by 2024.

Today

With Revit, many combine the old with the new, using traditional CADmep modeling techniques. It takes the best parts of traditional fabrication workflows and combines them with the best platform for the BIM process. When converting to Revit, it helps when you are familiar with fabrication parts. The Revit interface is user-friendly, with no hidden commands or system variables.  

Revit supports Autodesk Fabrication Parts items (ITM) content. This provides you with real-world data, intelligent connectivity and flat pattern development. You can initiate the constructible modeling process much faster because everything is tied directly to the live working model in one file. This gives you the ability to convert your mechanical and electrical designs to ITMs directly within Revit.

Information and decisions made by those involved at earlier stages of modeling are preserved, eliminating rework and supporting the BIM process better than AutoCAD-based workflows. 

Tomorrow

Fabrication and Revit are not the end game for the MEP industry. As your company navigates between the technology of the past and the technology of the future, you have the opportunity to improve profitability by further automating your design workflows.

One unique type of Revit add-on comes from eVolve MEP. These comprehensive detailing software products were developed specifically for the MEP industry. Two are eVolve Mechanical and eVolve Electrical. They enable companies to take Revit fabrication models to manufacturing and installation. Standardized content in eVolve MEP enables mechanical and electrical fabricators to automate their detailing tasks.

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Get a demo of eVolve Mechanical or eVolve Electrical today. Learn how you can embrace the future of the BIM process in the MEP industry and reap the benefits through a smoother workflow and faster fabrication deliverables.

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Industry changing features in eVolve Mechanical:

• Smart Bend
• Family Browser
• Conduit Run Schedule
• Conduit Optimize Bend Tools

Industry changing features in eVolve Electrical:

• Sleeve Placement
• Quick Tools
• Element Filter
• Layout Points

Features for both mechanical and electrical companies:

• Spooling – Automated dimensions make this feature fast, with many customizable options. Spooling enables you to automatically generate spool sheets as you define your spool assemblies or batch-create the sheets all at once later. With eVolve MEP, spooling is easier to manage and review, and it speeds the fabrication process beyond the capability of traditional Revit families (RFAs).   
• Hanger placement – The spec-driven hangers feature in eVolve MEP will automatically place supports throughout the entire fabrication model. Hangers will move automatically to resolve collisions, reducing time needed for coordination. Hangers are ITM-based, so they automatically size to your MEP part, stay connected as the system moves, and attach to the structure. 

The eVolve MEP tools are the way of the future for the MEP industry. Once you learn how automation can streamline your workflows, you may become part of the majority of MEP companies that are using BIM on their projects.

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