Software makes the difference in efficient custom staircases

A staircase as a business card. It typifies the drive of Grillaert Metaalconstructies from Wetteren to serve customers at their beck and call. For the digital design and drawing of its stairs, the company has relied on TopSolid for years. With the switch to version 7, customization has now become even easier than ever.

It was Daniel Grillaert who began hammering away at the fame of the Wetterse staircase builder. First with classic bar railings, later followed by spiral staircases. Fifty years later, with Pieter Grillaert, the third generation is at the helm and the possibilities are endless. Customers receive a custom staircase design that revolves around functionality and aesthetics. "Thanks to the technical knowledge and experience of my predecessors, today we can still do that little bit more. Away from standard work to really clean workmanship in the smallest details for each room. Our showroom is actually the easiest way to convince potential customers. Then before their eyes they see their own dream come true."

'Every staircase is a new business card. For those who want to deliver custom work, TopSolid is an absolute must'

Designing flawlessly

Every staircase is custom-made at Grillaert. Surely two or three go out the door every week. Mistakes are therefore out of the question. "Because every staircase is a new business card. Our customers come to us mainly by word of mouth. This can only be done by being able to be proud of what you deliver time and time again. That's why I choose my own boards, for example, if a customer chooses an untreated finish. You have to be sure that everything is right down to the last detail." The material is one thing; the design must also be flawless. Drawing has therefore been done digitally at Grillaert for years, for the sake of precision and ease of use. About fifteen years ago, the TopSolid package made its appearance on the company floor. Grillaert: "A real top product. You can make anything you want in it and immediately check for manufacturability. It took me some time to master everything, but then you can count on the excellent support of 4D Services. But the program is an absolute must for those who want to deliver custom work."

Everything becomes more and more parametrized in the new version of TopSolid, providing tremendous ease of use in staircase design.

Greater flexibility and efficiency

Software, however, does not stand still. "Specifically for metalworking, a lot has been moving in the package in recent years. New features that have given us more flexibility and efficiency." Last year, therefore, Grillaert switched to version 7 of TopSolid. "With the addition of a staircase library, among other things, we no longer have to start a new staircase from a white blank sheet," Grillaert points out. "The basis is already present in the software, so we only have to draw the custom finish from scratch. A huge gain in time and efficiency. Everything becomes more and more a matter of parameterization in the new version, which provides enormous ease of use. To give an example, if an adjustment from fifteen to sixteen steps is needed, in the past you had quite a challenge to have the dimensions perfect. Now that can be arranged with a few clicks. TopSolid adjusts the design automatically. "

Getting the most out of it

Grillaert, meanwhile, has passed the torch of drawing to his brother Thomas. "Last year I became business manager. I want to focus on growing further with Grillaert, evolving and putting a patch on it to get the most out of it. Maybe with a new showroom in the future, who knows. In any case, I'm happy to have the young guard by my side to build that out. Thomas caught on to the new version extremely quickly. That's important because the better you know how the software works, the better your drawing can be tuned to production. With TopSolid we have the right tool for that," Grillaert concludes.