Camflex is a sister company of the Belgian enterprise Verhofsté.  Verhofsté is specialized in the production of all kinds of roofing for bike shelters, playgrounds, carports, platform shelters, smoking areas, etc. 

Verhofsté recently proceeded with an operational demerger, in which Camflex was created in order to focus exclusively on standard products. Camflex will market standard products, from bike racks and street furniture, to shelters and public lavatories. Verhofsté will concentrate uniquely on made-to-measure constructions, such as custom-built shelters, elevator shafts, platform fittings, etc. 

Verhofsté de Zele has been using TopSolid since September 2006 for the commercial and technical design of its steel roofs. Camflex makes its roofs according to a fixed model, but to the dimensions requested by the customer. In this way, Camflex forms the link between the two systems: standard roofs on the one hand, and made-to-measure constructions on the other. This is the reason why the company has been using Missler Software’s TopSolid application since September 2006. In the past, Camflex used AutoCad to present its made-to-measure projects to customers. But there was one major drawback with AutoCad: for every new design, they had to start again from scratch. For every project, they had to create new models and new dimensions. It took several hours to design a new model. So Filip Verhofsté started looking for another solution. He needed software that was easy to use and did not demand too much training. And, most of all, he needed a tool that would enable him to quickly deliver a proposal to his customers, along with complete technical drawings. With the new TopSolid software, he can now design a new roof in just a few minutes.

TopSolid includes several standard models.  “When we design a new made-to-measure roof, we start by selecting a model. Then we enter the dimensions (length, width and headroom) in the spreadsheet. Next, we enter the shape of the columns, the required material, the number of bearing conduits, the number or arches and the foundations. In a single click, the computer then makes all the calculations and produces a 3D drawing of the roof, a 2D technical drawing and a list of parts. The model can then be enlarged or reduced in no time at all”, explains Camflex.

The switch to TopSolid'Design 7

Camflex migrated in 2012 to TopSolid’Design 7.6. The web solution on offer from Missler Software and its partner Square Medias, designed to use the CAD data produced by the latest-generation TopSolid, has proved to be very useful for Camflex. With the TopBox, TopSolid’Design 7.6 users have access to an environment of web functions that perfectly meet the needs of design engineers on the move. Missler Software and Square Medias now propose a software environment that allows TopSolid 7 users to access numerous web services through the TopBox. The TopBox forms a continuous thread, allowing employees and customers to enjoy remote access to technical data and 3D models over the internet. 

Remotely producing the BOM and 3D sketches with TopSolid’Design 7.6

Camflex was very interested in this function, because the company is currently seeking to establish a network of resellers for its products in Europe. Camflex is already working with a reseller in Spain. When the reseller needs to raise a quote for a product based on a fixed model, it simply sends the dimensions to Camflex, which then produces the detailed drawing and the quote. The advantage of working with the TopBox resides in the fact that the reseller will now be able to produce its own drawing remotely (BOM and 3D PDF sketch). The drawing is then automatically sent to Camflex, who creates the quote. In the past, this step took several hours. But with the TopBox, the reseller creates the detailed drawing in less than 2 minutes. A real revolution for Camflex and its resellers!

Camflex is planning to deploy the system with the TopBox and is conducting a series of tests to make sure that everything will work when the system goes live. The Belgian company is working hand in hand with 4D Services, the TopSolid reseller, in order to test the new system. It has also established close relations with Missler Software’s partner, Square medias, in order to make the technical data and 3D models remotely accessible over the internet.