topic Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts??? in Revit MEP Forum

Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

deusextechnic — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 23:39:11 GMT

Hi,

The idea of using fabrication parts has been floated at the office. We have been able to produce fabrication level pipework and electrical drawings including supports, using just revit families. My question in short is: is there any advantage (other than compatibility) to using fabrication parts? Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks,

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

RobynJHenke — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 20:00:57 GMT

Because our LOD (Level of Design) is only 200, using Fabrication Parts is not a good idea for us.

I have seen a lot of duct fabrication record drawings and that seems to be what Fabrication Parts are aimed at.

What is your company's LOD?

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

chris.kershaw — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 08:38:13 GMT

IMO absolutely not there are no advantages at all, RFA's can do so much more than ITM's and there is nothing ITM's can do that RFA's cant do. RFA's are also much faster to draw & edit systems with.

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

deusextechnic — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 08:54:36 GMT

LOD is typically 200-400 depending on the job but I don't see where using .rfa format fails to meet the requirements of any LOD if set up properly. My instincts are to agree with Chris but I would love to know if anyone has come across any scenario where fabrication parts had to be used.

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

chris.kershaw — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 10:23:08 GMT

LOD is not a factor here. you can modify any RFA to make it any LOD you require

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

mhillis — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 16:29:56 GMT

@chris.kershaw wrote:

IMO absolutely not there are no advantages at all, RFA's can do so much more than ITM's and there is nothing ITM's can do that RFA's cant do. RFA's are also much faster to draw & edit systems with.

Chris,

Would you mind expanding or sharing a resource that you have that reflects your opinion on the advantages of RFA over ITM's in the manner that you describe? I'm genuinely curious for my own informational benefit.

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

RobDraw — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 16:40:49 GMT

He can expand on that if he wants, but I think it's pretty self-explanatory as stated. Fabrication parts come into play at, wait for it, the fabrication phase. If you are on the design side, you will probably want to stay away from fabrication parts unless there is some sort of directive to use them.

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

Jacob_United — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 23:54:31 GMT

This really comes down to one question: Are you are a design contractor, build contractor or a design/build contractor?

If you are a design contractor, then even thinking the word 'Fabrication' is a waste of time.

If you are a build contractor (like my good self), then Fabrication Parts are a brilliant tool for transitioning from a drawing or model into manufactured ductwork at the click of a button. It basically removes the need for someone to interpret shop drawings and enter duct pieces for fabrication. You will get exactly what you draw in the model. We have been using Fab Parts supplemented by .rfa's for about two years and the increase in productivity and decrease in the double handling of data has made the switch absolutely worth it. I don't need to put nearly as much detail into my shop drawings as the fabrication process has become mostly automated.

If you are a design/build contractor then you would design in .rfa's before converting to Fabrication Parts once the construction issue comes around. I am yet to extensively test the efficiency and accuracy of the conversion process but it certainly works.

I would argue that Fabrication Parts can be as fast to use as .rfa's if not faster. It does however take a significant amount of time to set it up correctly, for which you will need a Fabrication Product. I do agree that .rfa based systems are easier to edit, but not by a large margin. The big difference is application, as noted above.

If you have any more specific questions I'd be happy to respond.

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

hpanchal — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 04:13:52 GMT

Hello,

Could you please send me an documents where we could see the Comparison between - Revit MEP Fabrication Parts Vs. Autodesk Fabrication 2019?

Re: Is there any advantage to using fabrication parts???

hpanchal — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 11:17:34 GMT

Hi Luke,

Could you please send me an documents where we could see the Comparison between - Revit MEP Fabrication Parts Vs. Autodesk Fabrication 2019?