DILFO is a second-generation, family-owned mechanical contractor based in Ottawa, Canada. Renowned as one of Eastern Ontario’s largest contractors, DILFO specializes in projects ranging from high-rise multifamily residential developments to institutional and medical facilities. Central to DILFO’s operations is its commitment to prefabrication, leveraging its Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) department to design and produce risers and spools in-house for efficient on-site installation. We sat down with Brendan Myers, Director of Operations, to learn more about how PypeServer has transformed their fabrication workflow.

What’s your role at DILFO and what’s your background?

My current role at DILFO as Director of Operations allows me to work with teams that are involved in our day-to-day activities. Our group focuses on innovation and processes that can be applied to multiple projects. My team includes our VDC group, Procurement, Health & Safety, Services and our construction superintendents who oversee all projects. My background is in the service part of the industry as a refrigeration mechanic. I transitioned into an office role 7 years ago to manage a service team and have progressed from there.

What’s your typical workflow like and what software tools do you use, from design through production?

DILFO’s prefabrication process begins in Revit, where risers and spools are designed in-house. Once modeled, DILFO uses PypeServer’s Connect for Revit add-in to select parts for fabrication and send them to the shop using Cloud+. Cloud+ eliminates file transfers to shop machinery, tracks fabrication progress, extends tracking to the field with a mobile app, and keeps track of production schedules.
Once cut lists have been sent to the Cloud, they’re available to the fabrication stations in the shop. DILFO has deployed Lyte tool control software at three fabrication stations to-date:

1. A manual saw for plastic materials
2. A custom plasma cutter for steel pipe, and
3. A semi-automatic bandsaw for grooved or threaded materials, fed by a TigerStop running Lyte

At each station, Lyte nests all the parts in the cut list to minimize waste. As each part is cut, Lyte prints labels with text, images, Revit parameters, and QR codes and automatically updates each part’s cut status in the Cloud. The QR codes on the labels can be scanned at the assembly stations and in the field to track spool assembly, delivery to the field, and installation using the Cloud+ mobile field app.

What made you consider PypeServer in the first place?

Before adopting PypeServer, DILFO sought to modernize its fabrication process by reducing paper use and optimizing material usage. While these efforts yielded some efficiencies, PypeServer’s cloud-based workflow made it a compelling choice.

PypeServer’s ability to optimize nesting cuts and integrate seamlessly with existing VDC tools such as AutoCAD and VDC made it the ideal solution. And the best part is, it just works—across all our machines, with minimal training.