Introducing hsbMake 28: Enhanced UI, Centralized Control, and Randek Robotics Integration

We are pleased to announce the release of hsbMake 28, a major advancement in bridging design and offsite manufacturing. This update enhances factory-wide visibility, automates data flow with leading machinery, and gives offsite production teams greater autonomy.

For those new to the platform, hsbMake is a comprehensive MES/CAM solution specifically designed for the offsite construction and timber industry. It is the intelligent bridge between the digital design office and the factory floor, transforming complex BIM data into automated production workflows. On the manufacturing side, hsbMake ensures the right data reaches the right workstation at exactly the right time. It automates data flow to CNC machines and gives production managers the tools to track every wall, floor, or roof element from the moment it is released to the workstation until it leaves the factory gate. This allows production managers to gain valuable insights into factory performance, identify workflow bottlenecks, and optimize resource allocation. While the factory floor stays synchronized and automated, the design office gains a clear view of real-time production status. By centralizing the management of machinery, manual workstations, and logistics, hsbMake provides precise visibility into the entire offsite manufacturing process.

hsbMake 28 advances offsite factory intelligence with new features and significant updates. Our new powerful integration with Randek’s Zero Labor robotic systems combines advanced automation and production tracking to deliver the speed and precision required for modern offsite manufacturing.

If you are already a valued hsbcad customer, please contact our Sales Team to ensure your hsbMake 28 upgrade is tailored to your offsite construction needs.  

If you are new to hsbMake and are looking to modernize your offsite construction workflows, we invite you to see these tools in action. Contact us for a tailored demonstration to discover how hsbMake 28 can unlock your offsite production potential.

New Features in hsbMake 28

Randek Integration

With hsbMake 28, we are introducing the most powerful feature yet. The new integration is a seamless two-way communication with the Randek Production Planner. Jobs are sent directly to Randek machines with live feedback at every stage. This integration removes duplicate data entry and manual input, significantly reducing the risk of human error. Entering data once ensures total consistency and accuracy across the entire factory floor while maintaining real-time visibility into job statuses.

Automated Offsite Construction with hsbMake 28 and Zero Labor Randek Robotic System Integration © Randek

Production Viewer

The Production Viewer has been enhanced to provide all hsbMake Office employees with a comprehensive, real-time overview of workstation status across the entire factory. It displays routing information, processed jobs and orders, and continuously updates production data. The Production Viewer in hsbMake 28 allows for immediate location of items within the production cycle. Additionally, we have introduced Relationship Tracking for units of work and Tooltips for capacity and port numbers, enabling faster reaction times and a deeper understanding of the production flow.

Percentage completion is displayed for every order in production.

You can now perform a fast search to immediately pinpoint the location of any item in the production cycle.

Tooltips with port numbers, capacity, and available jobs are now displayed.

Label Printing

Labels can be generated automatically at the start or end of offsite production for any unit of work, keeping production moving smoothly. In hsbMake 28, label printing has been enhanced to support reprinting directly from hsbClient or hsbMake Office. Whether a printer jams or a label needs replacing, shop floor teams can now resolve the issue instantly without consulting production management. This automation ensures that labels for Orders, Batches, Production Groups, or Items are always available exactly when and where they are needed.

hsbMake 28 Example Label

Validation App

The Validation App is now accessible within hsbMake Office, allowing offsite production managers to perform rule-based checks on timber design models before they reach the factory floor. By setting up Validation groups, teams can identify potential design conflicts or data gaps early, ensuring every project adheres to established offsite manufacturing rules. This empowers offsite production teams to take ownership of quality control, preventing costly downstream errors.

hsbMake 28 Validation Runner

hsbClient Update

The hsbClient has undergone a complete transformation, featuring a redesigned UI that offers a more intuitive and efficient user experience for shop floor operators. This update includes support for relative paths to simplify version setups and introduces a new mobile hsbClient app for Android and iOS tablets. Enhanced visualizations for wall icons and metal parts provide workers with a clearer digital representation of the design, while improved quality checks ensure higher precision during assembly.

hsbMake 28 hsbClient UI

Operations

hsbMake 28 introduces an expanded Operations framework to provide finer control over the step-by-step offsite manufacturing processes essential to offsite construction. Specialized operations for milling, nailing, stacking, and more are introduced in the Order App, alongside a new tree view and real-time progress bars. These enhancements support both parent-child relationships, which are particularly vital for complex tasks such as managing Multiwalls and their individual elements simultaneously.

hsbMake 28 Operations

hsbMake 28 Realtime progress bar in Order App

hsbMake 28 Tree view of Operations in Order App

Server Administration App

Managing your offsite production software is now simpler with the new Server Administrator App, which provides searchable access to server logs directly within hsbMake Office. Utilizing an intuitive, color-coded status system (Blue/Orange/Red), the app allows users to quickly pinpoint the source of technical issues. This transparency leads to faster problem-solving and reduces the number of personnel required to maintain system uptime.

Distributor App in hsbMake Office

Centralizing control was a key goal for this release, and the new Distributor App brings manual routing management directly into hsbMake Office. Production managers can now swiftly route, edit, or delete distributors and create desktop shortcuts for their most-used pathways. This centralized approach maximizes operational productivity and minimizes delays by ensuring that items are always directed to the most efficient production stream.

hsbMake 28 Distributor Selector

Production Grouping App

The Production Grouping App offers unprecedented flexibility by allowing users to combine jobs, stacks, or batches into logical groups for selective release. This means specific items can be prioritized and sent to assembly without releasing an entire, large-scale order. By visually managing these groups within hsbMake Office, you can streamline processing and improve the overall monitoring of complex project timelines.

hsbMake 28 Production Grouping App

hsbClient Security

Security and stability are central to hsbMake 28, which now includes a core upgrade to .NET 8 for improved performance. The new Device Manager ensures only authorized hardware can access the hsbClient, providing a secure environment for your proprietary design and production data. These updates ensure your digital infrastructure remains robust as your factory grows.

While these highlights represent major advancements in offsite construction, they are only a part of what hsbMake 28 offers. This release is engineered for offsite timber companies and builders aiming to lead the industry. With new features and refinements, hsbMake 28 enables full automation of offsite manufacturing workflows and streamlines the DfMA process.

For a comprehensive breakdown of every technical enhancement included in this update, we invite you to explore the official release notes on hsbcad.academy.

For a visual demonstration of new features in action, visit our YouTube channel to watch the latest hsbMake 28 playlist.

Discover hsbMake 28 today!

hsbMake 28 delivers features designed to optimize your offsite manufacturing intelligence, eliminate manual data silos, and create a more traceable production environment. Factory teams receive precise data at every workstation, while the design office gains real-time visibility to oversee operations and maintain workflow efficiency.

If you are already a valued hsbcad customer, please contact our Sales Team to ensure your hsbMake 28 upgrade is tailored to your offsite construction needs.  

If you are new to hsbMake and are looking to modernize your offsite construction workflows, we invite you to see these tools in action. Contact us for a tailored demonstration to discover how hsbMake 28 can unlock your offsite production potential.

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