Roto aligns product data for digital use by professionals

Roto is participating in a resource for architects and construction professionals that provides standardised content on building materials and construction products for digital use in different applications such as building information modelling (BIM).

Roto has partnered with digital technology providers ThorbiQ. Among the services ThorbiQ provides is creating BIM objects of Roto products and incorporating them into our Roto Platform, which is directly available through the MatBiM platform roto.thorbiq.io . From here, architects can obtain digital permalinks or digital product passports of the products and incorporate them into their own BIM models.

“Architects want to get reliable information from manufacturers of building products”, says Kristof Haerens, CEO and co-founder of ThorbiQ. “MatBiM provides a centralised resource where they can find the products that suit their requirements. They also want to assess the data in a standardised format, so they can directly compare different products”.

Kristof explains how the data for each individual product is stored as a permalink that architects can add to a document such as an Excel spreadsheet, or incorporate into a BIM model. “In IT terminology, the data is transferred via an API link. The best way to think of this is as a live link that is constantly updated. The client places the product on their Excel list or into their BIM model, and so long as they are online, the information will not go out of date. Any changes are immediately accessible”.

“We really believe we can help improve the construction industry for everyone involved”, Kristof continues. “That is why we partner with sector initiatives, service providers, BIM specialists and manufacturers like Roto. By making information accessible so everyone can find the right products, time is saved and communications are improved. It’s a win-win for everyone involved”.

Roto Western Europe Marketing Specialist, Subana Akhmedova, sees this as a very positive initiative. “There was a survey that showed architects and other construction professionals waste a significant proportion of their time either searching for product information or correcting mistakes due to initial misinformation. A platform like MatBiM can save a lot of that time and allow professionals to very quickly find the product that works best for their project. In many cases that will be a Roto product”.

In recent times Roto Western Europe has focused on making the Roto brand more visible to architects. “We have done this by co-hosting events and taking part in trade fairs such as the annual River Event in Benelux”, says Subana. “Now MatBiM opens a whole new marketing channel. It puts Roto products right in front of an architect at the moment they need to know about them”.

Chris Cauwenberghs, General Manager of Roto Benelux, says, “We are always looking for ways to stay competitive and keep Roto at the forefront of digital technology. By partnering with ThorbiQ and the MatBiM platform, we have joined an industry standard for digital construction that brings together professionals from across the sector. Not only do we expect to create more customer engagement; we also want to use the data we get back from the platform to help us with future planning”.

The following Roto products are on the MatBiM platform:

• Roto NX – Tilt&Turn and Turn-Only window hardware
• Roto NX Designo – concealed Tilt&Turn hardware
• Power Hinge – high loading capacity for Tilt&Turn and Turn-Only windows
• Patio Inowa – sliding hardware for tightly sealed systems
• Roto Solid B – two and three part butt hinges