Faster architectural component manufacturing
For manufacturers producing highly customized products, managing customization with manual design processes is a key challenge. As products become more complex, the potential for errors, delays, and inefficiencies increases. DriveWorks design automation, 3D product configurator, and CPQ solutions enable manufacturers to speed up design timelines and deliver custom products more efficiently. Thorp Precast uses DriveWorks to deliver highly customized facade projects while reducing manual effort and improving consistency.
The challenge
Thorp Precast manufactures specialist precast facade systems for projects across the UK, typically managing seven to eight major projects simultaneously. Project lifecycles range from two to four years, from design through to installation. Every project and virtually every panel produced by Thorp Precast is unique. This creates significant engineering and manufacturing challenges.
Their brief to deliver the facade for the TIDE Bankside development on London’s South Bank was unique. The architect’s vision was to create a facade that appeared to be shaped by running water over decades, generating a random surface with varying depths, textures, and shadows. The design was originally sculpted in clay, digitally scanned, refined in Rhino, and given to Thorp Precast to put bricks on.
The design presented several challenges for Thorp Precast:
- Delivering apparent randomness at scale
- Managing complex geometry
- Maintaining manufacturing accuracy
- Speeding up design iterations
The solution
Thorp Precast introduced DriveWorks into the workflow whenever a process could be automated.
Rather than building a large automation project upfront, the team adopted a “start small” approach, gradually expanding the project as requirements became clearer and designs progressed from concept through to manufacture.
Automating facade development
The team imported the architect’s scanned surface into SOLIDWORKS® and used DriveWorks to automate the process of generating brick layouts across the complex geometry.
Using DriveWorks, they:
- Controlled the starting brick position
- Sliced the facade surface into brick courses
- Projected brickwork onto the geometry
- Generated manufacturing-ready models
- Automatically created multiple design iterations
Creating manufacturing-ready outputs
As the project developed, they used DriveWorks to automatically produce:
- Manufacturing drawings for brick placement
- Waterjet cutting data
- STL files for CNC programming
- IFC files for BIM integration with Tekla
- Documentation to support shop floor processes
Integrating engineering and manufacturing
A critical requirement was ensuring all generated data could flow back into Tekla, Thorp Precast’s primary communication and BIM platform. By automatically generating IFC exports, DriveWorks enabled smooth integration between SOLIDWORKS, manufacturing processes, and project delivery workflows.
The TIDE Bankside development won the Innovation Award at the Brick Awards 2025.
The benefits
The implementation of DriveWorks delivered several benefits for Thorp Precast:
1. Faster proof-of-concept development
DriveWorks enabled Thorp Precast to quickly generate and evaluate multiple facade variations, helping architects visualize concepts and make design decisions earlier in the project lifecycle.
2. Reduced engineering effort
Once the automation was set up, the team could regenerate designs simply by replacing reference surfaces and rerunning the project, avoiding repetitive modelling work.
3. Standardized manufacturing processes
Although each facade panel was unique, using DriveWorks, they could ensure that drawings, outputs, and manufacturing documentation followed a consistent format, making production easier and reducing the potential for errors.
4. More time for innovation
By automating repetitive engineering tasks, the team had more time to focus on solving other project design challenges.
Every panel on the project was unique, but DriveWorks helped us standardize the way we generated drawings, manufacturing information, and outputs for the shop floor.
Adam Green, R & D Manager at Thorp Precast
Manufacturing technology solutions for the architectural components industry
DriveWorks enables architectural component manufacturers to deliver customized products faster and more efficiently by automating design, configuration, and quotation processes.
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