Matrix CAD Ltd is a recently formed sub-contract drawing office based in Staffordshire. The company has been formed by three partners, Richard Burchell, David Newell and Darren Holden – together they have over 50 years of combined experience in the structural steelwork industry involved in drawing office management, structural steelwork detailing, general arrangement production and project management.
After many years using 3D modelling software at a number of major steelwork contractor’s they have made the strategic decision to invest their own money into Tekla Structures which they saw as a future proof solution for their business.
“Having put together a strong team for our own business we decided that we also needed the best tools available for the job in hand and so we took the decision to look at Tekla Structures rather than take what would perhaps have been an easier choice and continue with the software we had been using for many years. Having known Wayne Rawson for many years and respecting his industry knowledge and experience we contacted him through his new venture Wayne Rawson Consulting for advice on both the software and also setting up our own business. We were blown away by the capabilities of Tekla’s software once we saw Wayne’s presentation and the detailed technical demonstration and realised that while we could continue in the business we know well, steel detailing, we could also expand our offering to other parts of the industry including BIM consultancy which appealed greatly to us.” Richard Burchell, Managing Director, Matrix CAD Ltd
Matrix Cads new team also includes long time friends and colleagues from the past David Newell and Darren Holden who were involved in the software choice.
“A further consideration for us, beyond the software investment, was that of having to learn and implement a new software solution and the time required to get a return on our investment. Following the week long training course in Leeds I was productive immediately and within 4 weeks was using at a competent level, I was surprised how easily I made the adjustment and much of that I put down to the ease of use of the software. While the automated connections are very powerful and flexible another feature that has impressed me greatly is the capability to easily write my own component macro’s using a graphical interface, increasing productivity even further.
With all modelling systems the drawing output is extremely important and it’s fair to say the software I’ve used in the past produces very good drawings, so I was pleasantly surprised to see just how good the Tekla drawings are and the additional flexibility I have with the drawings means I can also provide our different clients with drawing styles they are used to and prefer.
The next step for me is to learn how we can take our productivity to even higher levels utilising the Tekla API which promises huge potential for our business and opens up further business opportunities for us which is important” David Newell, Technical Director
Darren’s expertise has been using AutoCAD to produce high quality General Arrangement drawings, although he had dabbled in the past he had never made a complete move to 3D modelling.
“With over 15 years experience using 2D cad packages I was surprised just how easily I learned how to build a 3D model and create high quality GA drawings within a few days. For me being able to easily create working views instantly from the model was a huge advantage and the placing and moving of parts in the model was simpler than I expected too.
The biggest advantage in my role was the fact that once I created my arrangement drawings then they are always kept up to date and any changes to the model are flagged and the drawings updated automatically! Darren Holden (Technical Director)
Welcoming Matrix CAD to the Tekla community, Tekla (UK) Ltd, Managing Director, Andrew Bellerby stated:
“We are absolutely delighted that Matrix CAD chose Tekla as their preferred software choice in starting out their new business venture. It has been very interesting and exciting for us to see just how quickly they have all taken to Tekla and in a matter of a few weeks they are all flying on the system! The component work that David has done is something we don’t often see from new users of the software and it is a testament to the skills of Matrix CAD but also the tools that we develop. Our investment in R & D is significant representing around a quarter of sales revenue annually and it is good to see the work we do paying off and benefitting our customers. Matrix CAD have strategic plans to grow their business and expand their offering and we wish them all success in their new and exciting venture”