Revit, Inventor and CPQ: the perfect triangle
Once started with steel structures, HTC Parking & Security is now the market leader in speed gates. The automatic folding gates for car parks, hotels, industrial estates and apartment complexes are designed and produced in Waddinxveen, after which they find their way to customers in Europe and sometimes even America and Asia. To keep a grip on the processes and data and produce more efficiently, HTC started an intensive automation programme with Cadac. Meanwhile, CPQ, Inventor, Vault and Revit have been implemented and fully integrated with ERP via Cadac Connect.
Hundreds of thousands of motorists use HTC's services every day, unknowingly. When they drive into the office garage for yet another working day, when they enter a car park at an airport or business park, when they park their car under their apartment complex in the evening. Each time, the folding doors move open and, of course, close again. 'And quickly,' adds René Pals, automation project leader at HTC. 'That's why our gates are called speed gates. The fastest opens faster than one metre per second. After all, people want to be able to drive in and out quickly. There is also a smaller chance of "followers" and therefore safer.'
Operational Reliability
It is a product no one thinks about, such a folding gate. 'Until it doesn't open or close,' laughs René Pals. Then there is immediate panic. Understandably, nobody likes standing in front of a closed gate and nobody wants to stand still in a car park either. That is why, besides quality, operational reliability is the most important thing with us. The gate must not refuse when passage is required. And if it does happen, due to a collision for example, we have to work as fast as we can to solve the problem'.
We wanted to work with Revit in combination with Inventor and CPQ, the perfect triangle as far as we were concerned. Cadac is at home in those three areas and together we created a detailed programme plan.
René Pals
Project leader automation
Xense software
Matter of sending a mechanic? 'Sometimes, but we can solve a lot remotely. We have developed our own software, Xense, which allows us to monitor all the ports we supply via an IoT solution. If there is a malfunction, the customer can report it, but usually we already know by then because our systems give a signal. We can see at our control centre in Waddinxveen exactly where the fault is and what is going on. Often the problem is easy to fix via a reset, which can often be done locally by the customer. It could be a dead battery of a handheld transmitter, a dirty sensor, a problem with a pass. These are all easily repairable. And if that unexpectedly fails, we will send our own mechanic. There are always assembly and service teams on the road. Fortunately, it is increasingly rare that we have to go on site.'
Speedgate as a Service
Not for nothing does René Pals emphasise service. 'The market is changing. The customer buys a speedgate and increasingly concludes a long-term service contract with it. In fact: more and more customers do not buy a gate, they pay a fixed amount per month for use. Speedgate as a Service, therefore, with which we relieve the customer of all his worries. If you know that the lifespan of a folding gate is easily thirty years, it is clear that we make no concessions whatsoever on quality. Good maintenance is essential, but of course it all starts with the development and production'.
Evolution of HTC: from steel structures to top player in automatic doors
'HTC is basically a further development of steel construction company BRS,' knows René Pals, now 17 years with the company and several positions further on. 'First BRS made steel skeletons for commercial buildings, then glass was added and then industrial entrance doors again. Slowly but surely the emphasis shifted to automatic doors, especially folding doors because they take up little space and are fast. I have seen the company grow rapidly over the last decade. Not just in the Netherlands, our gates are all over Western Europe. The Benelux, France, Scandinavia, Germany. A few years before the Brexit, we opened a branch in the UK where we also supply a lot of systems. Of course there is competition, but with speed gates, we are among the bigger players in Europe. And sometimes beyond. For instance, we supplied six speedgates for a large eye-catching site in California. We never say no to anything, especially not to a project like this.'
Digital building as the new standard
Five years ago, in 2015, HTC Parking & Security moved to a brand new and attractive building in Waddinxveen, bringing together design and development as well as production and service. A sustainable building, strategically located by the A12 motorway with sufficient capacity to accommodate more than the current 100 employees. An important step in further professionalisation. 'Certainly, and at the same time we realised that we were falling behind digitally. We were still working with 3D drawing software, but we had an old Product Data Management system and we wanted to standardise as a starting point; make the switch from Engineering-to-Order to Configure-to-Order. In addition, integration with our ERP system, Sales Configurator (CPQ), Revit and smart models (Design Automation) was an important starting point. Ambitious and a substantial investment, but necessary to work more efficiently and deliver higher quality. Without control over rapidly growing data, the transition to 3D design is impossible. We are convinced that digital construction will become the standard. As a supplier of speed gates, we need to catch up with that.'
HTC & Cadac: an intensive process
The management formulated a vision after which a project team led by René Pals started looking for a partner. In 2021, the choice fell on Cadac. 'Because we wanted to work with Revit in combination with Inventor and CPQ, the perfect triangle as far as we were concerned. Cadac is at home in those three areas and together we created a detailed programme plan, because many projects over a four-year time span are needed to realise our ambition. With several Cadac specialists in attendance, we started implementing Inventor and PDM. An intensive process. For the engineers, it meant working with completely new design software. Cadac provided the perfect guidance and training while the shop remained open as usual. For a while, we used two systems while the order flow grew. That did put the necessary pressure on everyone. Reason to slow down the pace slightly and take time for a careful transition.'
Transition to automation
'This was and is a very big project,' says Bas Ligterink, account manager at Cadac. 'With lots of changes and new software such as PDM, Inventor ánd CPQ. Carefulness is crucial, as is taking everyone along in the transition, including in the workshop. We and the customer had to take the time for that. It made a huge difference that HTC made its own team and even René available full-time for the transition. That shows how important they consider automation to be. You can also see that in the results. First we started working with the ten engineers and R&D people, now the first fully configured speedgates have been produced, administration and sales follow.'
Designing with Autodesk and Epicor tooling
HTC designs and builds roughly five different types of speed gates in Waddinxveen. Ranging from a modest two metres wide and high to gates up to four metres high and ten metres wide. Many of the components are outsourced to suppliers in the region. Customised steel sheets and tubes, motors and electronics such as cameras and sensors. Among other things, the steel structure is produced with welding robots, after which it may or may not be colour-coated. In the workshop, mechanics assemble the complete installations, ready for departure to the construction site. Meanwhile, the "middle" type is now being designed with Autodesk and Epicor tooling, the connection to the workshop has been completed and the next product lines are being prepared.'
Flexible working with Configure-to-Order
'We are very pleased with the progress,' says René Pals, 'especially as we are now moving from Engineering-to-Order to Configure-to-Order. CPQ and Design Automation are set up with an extensive pallet of versions and options with which the engineers further develop the orders. Custom-made modifications are always possible, e.g. additional safety features, special infills, additional fencing. Until recently, the wicket doors in addition to the speed gates were also custom-made, but in a short time we have also got these in CPQ and DA. Working flexibly with standards where our goal is to design 80 per cent of projects from CTO. Then again, the remaining 20 per cent can be made 80 per cent from CTO. For the bulk of our customers, we can put together a speedgate so with CPQ. Because the standards are recognisable in the workshop, production can be faster.'
Integration with Cadac Connect
It is still too early to express the benefits in financial terms. 'We ultimately gain time in engineering, the lines of communication with production departments are shorter, there is only one current design of each gate available in 3D, the risk of errors is reduced. Our people's knowledge is now also recorded. The integration between PDM and our ERP system has been made with Cadac Connect, giving us more control over purchasing and stocks again. Our sales people become familiar with CPQ and can make and amend quotations faster and more accurately. All plus points. Next year we are also going to add the other product types to CPQ. In the end, we will definitely recoup our investment and we will be scalable despite the tight labour market'.
Product Lifecycle Management
Two years after its inception, HTC has taken a giant step in automation. Ready for the future, then? René Pals shakes his head. 'Not quite yet. Once everyone is used to the new software, we will start working with Cadac on Product Lifecycle Management. HTC makes products with a long lifespan. They have to be durable, last a long time without any problems and be able to be disposed of responsibly at the end of the lifecycle with reuse of parts and materials. Sustainability is also an issue here. PLM is indispensable for this.' Bas Ligterink is already in the starting blocks. 'Definitely. PLM is the next step in industrial automation and digitalisation. The ultimate grip on data and processes. Our core business.'