Construction company Vandenbussche created a first. It successfully deployed a mobile topographical robot or BIM printer for the first time. This robot can autonomously draw details from full-size digital drawings on a floor to millimetre accuracy.
It's an open door. The construction industry is facing a major labour shortage. Of necessity, construction companies are looking for innovative solutions to work more efficiently. Those who invest in new technology will reap the benefits sooner or later. "We realise this all too well," says Kristof Defruyt, CEO of Vandenbussche. "That is why we have been investing heavily in innovative, reliable equipment for years. It not only ensures more safety on site. It also helps us work faster and more efficiently. In times of labour shortages, this is no superfluous luxury."
For instance, Vandenbussche has been working via BIM for years. This involves several parties using a single 3D model containing all information on planning, costs, sustainability, materials, operations and maintenance of a new building. Through this virtual copy, it is possible to carry out a project much more accurately. "Currently, we already model 75% of our projects in BIM. By the end of 2023, we want to develop all our projects through this methodology. The benefits are numerous. Visualisation also gives the customer a clear view of the overall project. And we can work even more tailor-made."
Smart and highly accurate
Interpreting a BIM model and translating it to the floor requires a lot of preparatory work. But Bimprinter, a start-up from Andenne is changing this. It developed a robotic printer that draws out full-size digital plans on the floor. Construction company Vandenbussche is the first Flemish contractor to effectively use the robot printer. "This robot is a particularly useful tool when installing partitions with complex geometry and corners. Thanks to the robot, we can eliminate the human error burden. Moreover, we can also draw out plans at a higher speed."
Scoop
The site of residential care centre Dunecluze in Koksijde (Belgium) got the scoop. This is where the robot was used for the first time. Together with AIKO Architects & Engineers, Vandenbussche won the tender for this prestigious project. "An important condition was a smooth execution of the works. We were able to guarantee this because we made a number of well-considered choices in the preliminary phase. In addition, we worked out the entire project in BIM. Now that we also have this robot at our disposal, we can move one step faster. In half a day, we can draw all the lines on the concrete slab here."
Robot printer
The robot printer measures 1 metre by 1 metre. It soaks about 50 kilos and works much more accurately than traditional methods. After spraying a line of paint, it uses a laser to burn a line into the floor. "From BIM, the plans are exported to a computer. This then communicates them to the robot in real time. So it knows perfectly how to position itself. Calibration is also done automatically. And before the robot sprays paint on the concrete slab, it also checks that it is effectively in the right place."
Innovate, but also attract people
An extremely smart device, therefore, with a lot of advantages. Consequently, Vandenbussche wants to deploy the robot on more and more construction sites in the coming months. "In everything we do, we set the bar higher and higher for ourselves. We want to be an example for the sector and hope that our efforts will also persuade people to get excited about a job in construction. Because technology alone won't get you there. We also continue to need people to continue growing," says Kristof Defruyt.
