Macsys Holding BV

Company

Macsys was founded as a General Partnership (Dutch V.O.F.) on October 13, 2006 by A.J.P. Schalkwijk and M. Alfons. The name Macsys is inspired by CAM software Cimatron, where MACSYS stands for MAchine COordinate SYStem. Macsys Engineering B.V. and Macsys Holding B.V. are founded May 22, 2012, replacing the existing partnership structure. In 2019 Macsys Engineering BV activities have all been transferred to Macsys Holding BV.

Gallery

Click the image or animation for more information.

3d Printing [years 2006-2008]

Macsys uses SketchUp software to transform architectural 2d drawings into 3d surface models. The 3d surface models are fed into Z-Corp printers to create tangible solid models or maquettes. Z-Corp printers use inkjet-technology to create full color models, making them ideal for visualization.

Traditionally, architectural models are handmade using various materials. These materials have a look and feel that is close to the finished building, something that can not be achieved with 3d printing. The benefit of 3d printing is speed. A virtual 3d model is created faster and in finer detail then hand crafted models, especially if the building design is available digitally. Because 3d printed models are build up in layers, the surface finish is inferior to traditional models. The surface finish however can be improved by sanding or bead blasting.

Macsys pilot project (non-commercial) involved CAD modelling and printing of a 1930's house located in Woerden. The printed house is glued on a wooden pedestal. This model was used as proof-of-concept and a demonstration project for potential customers.

The first commercial project for Macsys was creating a colored 1:50 scale model of a villa in Dronten. Details include; tiled roof, water drainage pipes and muntin windows. At the time of modeling this project, there was no 'shell function' available in SketchUp, meaning that creating the correct wall thicknesses had to be done manually. A very tedious and time-consuming task, which is fully automated in most solid modelers. The second project was a huge jump in complexity. It was requested to build a scale model of a 900 m² mansion. It was requested to build the model with an open roof, making it possible to view the internal layout. Since the scaled model was larger than the available 3d printer, the model required sectioning. Building plans for the 30m x 30m mansion were available in AutoCad 2d format. The mansion includes: a swimming pool, sauna, fitness room and underground parking. Macsys's third model was a challenge in terms of detailing. The unique house design includes an elevation, round structure, high detail stairs, pillars and balcony. Since printed models are relatively weak, scaling was done non-uniform, so that the finer details are printed somewhat bigger and are thus stronger.

After the first projects were successfully launched, demand for models increased. That is why Macsys partnered with a SketchUp modeling firm based in Thailand. This allowed Macsys to increase its design capacity and take on more work and more challenging projects.

More on 3D Printing...

Engineering Service [years 2008 - Current]

Quick Release

Quick release soap connector for MMID and used in Touch Free Hygienic Dispensers. Macsys Holding BV developed the lock & release concept for connecting a soap bag. A robust lever turns a rotating action into a linear action, locking or releasing the soap bag. The concept needed minimal changes to transfer too mass production.

Boxer PWV

Boxer armored fighting vehicle.

Front Belt

Assembly tool for Crystals by Lila.

Product Development [years 2008 - Current]

Dip-Clip

The Dip-Clip® logo is a registered trade mark at the The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property.

BandRec App

BandRec - Automatic Recording App.

More on Product Developement...

Engineering Calculations - Manual

Manual Engineering Calculation

Mechanics of Materials

Equilibrium of a Deformable body

Statics

Dynamics

Rectilinear Kinematics, Continues Motion

Rectilinear Kinematics, Erratic Motion

Curvilinear motion: Normal and Tangential components

Engineering Calculations - Mathcad

Rectilinear Kinematics, Continues motion

Mathcad is computer software primarily intended for the verification, validation, documentation and re-use of engineering calculations developed by Mathsoft. Mathcad is relatively easy to learn and has WYSIWYG functionality, which is a big advantage over the 'hidden' and 'text based' formulas used in Microsoft Exel. Unfortunately Mathcad was purchased by PTC and as a consequence became less accessible, more expensive, more bulky - but - still superior compared to Microsoft Exel. Macsys uses Mathcad Client 2001 for making and reporting engineering calculations. A practical starters guide for learning Mathcad can be found here.

Lifetime performance and Reliability

Compound Tube Calculation

Box Optimization Calculation

Optimization Calculation

SimWise4D

Simwise 4D integrates motion with FEA

SimWise 4D was born when DST acquired a license from MSC Software Corporation to the MSC.visualNastran 4D (vn4D) product. The software traces its roots to the Working Model 3D product developed by Knowledge Revolution, which was acquired by MSC in 1999, extended to include FEA capabilities, and renamed Working Model 4D. It has found tens of thousands of users among engineering professionals, students, and educators. In December 2020 Macsys Holding BV acquired a perpetual licence from DST for the use of SimWise 4D software.