{"id":40943,"date":"2017-05-04T11:26:22","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T15:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=40943"},"modified":"2017-05-04T11:26:22","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T15:26:22","slug":"technology-moves-sheet-metal-work-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/technology-moves-sheet-metal-work-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology Moves Sheet Metal Work Ahead","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

The sheet metal trade may be one of the oldest inthe country, but modern technology propels it forward\u2014and SMART\u2019s affiliated funds are helping members keep pace.
\nAutoCAD, Navisworks, Robotic Total Station and other tools make it easier to design HVAC systems, communicate with the job site, collaborate with other trades and allow changes to happen that once would have been impossible.
\nGreg Greene, a detailer\/designer for Metropolitan Mechanical Contractors in Minnesota, marvels every day at the changes since he turned out in 1980. In 1999, slowed by degenerative arthritis, he traded his tools and embraced for the then-new technology.
\nGreene\u2019s 37 years of craft and digital experience went into designing HVAC at the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 U.S. Bank Stadium and his current project, the BMO Harris Bradley Center, home of the NBA Milwaukee Bucks.
\nVirtual feet on the ground<\/strong>
\nWorking on a Milwaukee project from his Minnesota office\u2014400 miles away–would not have been possible even five years ago. Today, Navisworks lets anyone associated with the project virtually walk around the building like a first-person player in a video game.
\n\u201cIt allows you to tour the facility and make changes in the 3D virtual world instead of waiting until the building is finished and you wish you could have done something different,\u201d Greene said. That brings everyone into the loop clarifying every detail.
\n\u201cI\u2019m updating the model four to five times an hour, so they\u2019re constantly getting those updates,\u201d Greene added. \u201cWe constantly work with the other trades. There is a lot of back and forth, especially on remote projects. Before, everyone would need to work on the same model at the same time. It would\u2019ve been a lot harder.\u201d
\nSimilarly, Robotic Total Station allows workers to precisely place duct and pipe hangers and floor openings using land-based positioning devices fed by software. Once again, it means fewer mistakes.
\n\u201cOn a lot of drawings, we aren\u2019t dimensioning anymore, because we know the hangers are done before the deck floors,\u201d Greene said. \u201cMost trades are getting on board with coordinating the hangers. If you do it from the get-go, you really save time.\u201d
\nExperience required<\/strong>
\nWhile this undoubtedly sound cool to younger members, including upcoming and current apprentices, the work still requires skills that only experience can provide, said Ron McGuire, Building Information Modeling (BIM) specialist for the ITI.
\n\u201cThe gaming age has influence on a generation,\u201d McGuire said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t teach experience. Someone with ten years in the field knows how a job runs. It\u2019s hard to reenact that in a classroom.\u201d
\nBy embracing the opportunity to transition his expertise from the job site to the BIM world, Greene reinvigorated his passion for his career\u2014and saved it.
\n\u201cI saw it as a way to be able to work until I\u2019m 62,\u201d Greene said. \u201cI could see field work wasn\u2019t going to be long term. A lot of sheet metal workers don\u2019t want to sit at a desk all day, but for me, it saved my career.\u201d
\nITI builds the leading edge<\/strong>
\n 
\nIndustry demands these technologies, and the ITI develops the instructors who train members at their home locals. Sessions and courses are already broad and always expanding, to keep members not just current, but on the leading edge.
\nFor information on ITI instructor classes, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org\/catalog<\/a>.
\n 
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The sheet metal trade may be one of the oldest inthe country, but modern technology propels it forward\u2014and SMART\u2019s affiliated funds are helping members keep pace. AutoCAD, Navisworks, Robotic Total Station and other tools make it easier to design HVAC systems, communicate with the job site, collaborate with other trades and allow changes to happen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":9,"featured_media":40944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"member_types":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTechnology Moves Sheet Metal Work Ahead - SMART Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/technology-moves-sheet-metal-work-ahead\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Technology Moves Sheet Metal Work Ahead - SMART Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The sheet metal trade may be one of the oldest inthe country, but modern technology propels it forward\u2014and SMART\u2019s affiliated funds are helping members keep pace. 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