In the fast-paced world of construction and prefabrication, time is money. Yet many teams still face a common bottleneck: manual hanger placement in Building Information Modeling (BIM) environments. This old method slows down the design process. It also raises the chances of human error, rework, and expensive delays.
Introducing MSUITE Hangers—a new construction solution that automates hanger placement. It turns a common problem into a smooth, easy workflow. MSUITE Hangers helps contractors, designers, and fabricators work faster and more accurately. It improves their BIM-to-fabrication workflows by automating a process that used to be slow and manual.
The Problem with Manual Hanger Placement
Manual hanger placement comes with a range of challenges that slow down productivity and inflate costs:
- Labor-Intensive: Skilled professionals must spend hours placing, sizing, and adjusting hangers in BIM models.
- Error-Prone: Mistakes in sizing or positioning often occur, resulting in costly structural issues or the need for rework.
- Inflexible: As BIM models evolve, manual processes struggle to keep up, requiring continuous, time-consuming adjustments.
According to the Dodge Data & Analytics SmartMarket Report, poor project data and miscommunication account for nearly 48% of all construction rework. Manual hanger layout only adds to this risk, introducing potential disconnects between design and fabrication.
Automating Away Hidden Labor Risk
When hanger placement relies on manual updates, it introduces hidden labor risks that escalate with project complexity. Autodesk and FMI reported that bad construction data contributed to $1.8 trillion in global construction losses in 2020.
By automating this process, MSUITE Hangers acts as a single, reliable source of truth, ensuring design changes automatically cascade through to hanger placement. This reduces labor risk, improves installation confidence, and supports a much smoother BIM-to-fabrication pipeline.
Faster Coordination, Stronger Schedules
Speed matters. As construction schedules get tighter and clients want faster delivery, automation is now essential, not just a luxury.
Manual coordination cycles often result in wasted time, delayed approvals, and last-minute changes. MSUITE Hangers improves schedule certainty by:
- Improving model accuracy upfront
- Reducing the coordination time between trades
- Accelerating approvals and fabrication readiness
This means teams can hit deadlines more confidently and with fewer surprises. Faster coordination translates to faster delivery—a critical competitive edge in today’s construction market.
What is MSUITE Hangers?
MSUITE Hangers isn’t just a simple placement tool—it’s a comprehensive suite of enhancements that take your MEP modeling projects to the next level:
Reactive & Smart Hangers
- MSUITE Hangers automatically adapts to MEP model changes by adjusting or adding/removing hangers in real time. This ensures all hangers remain correctly positioned and sized, even as design updates flow through the model.
Simultaneous Hanger and System Modeling
- MSUITE Hangers lets users place hangers while drawing MEP systems, crushing tight deadlines and maintaining extreme accuracy across modeling workflows.
Single and Multi-Tier Trapeze Hangers
- Whether you need a simple single hanger or a multi-tier trapeze configuration (up to five tiers), MSUITE Hangers provides a rapid, flexible setup. Pipe clamps are automatically added to trapeze hangers, adapting smoothly between configurations.
Hanger Manager with Placement Rules
- Define and share system rules for hanger placement and spacing. The system auto-detects the correct rules based on system type and material, ensuring every hanger is placed precisely according to project standards—without manual calculations.
BOM Export and Project Controls
- View specific hanger elements and the objects they support, batch rename elements, control naming conventions, and automatically generate hanger sheets. Export Bill of Materials (BOM) data in multiple formats for smooth fabrication planning.
Point Manager and Built-In Field Points
- MSUITE Hangers eliminates the need for manual point placement, enabling precise, accurate field installation. Coordination between VDC and field crews becomes dramatically simpler.
Revit Integration and Hanger Scheduling
- Enjoy seamless integration with Revit shared parameters and leverage native Revit scheduling for accurate documentation, reporting, and improved design-fabrication coordination.
Hardware and Component Support
MSUITE Hangers comes equipped with built-in content for a wide range of anchors, attachments, and supports, including:
- Concrete Inserts: Bang-It+, Wood-Knocker, Pan-Knocker (all sizes)
- Threaded Rods: 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″, 3/4”
- Struts: Double, Single, L-Angle
- Single Rod Hangers: Adjustable Clevis, Pipe Roller Hanger, J-Hanger, Swivel Ring Hanger, and more
- Hardware: Square/Round Washers & Nuts
- Duct Straps: Full, Half, Round Straps
- Cable/Wire Suspensions: Includes DEWALT® TOUGHWIRE™ Cable Hanger System
- Trapeze Hangers: Single & Multi-Tier (up to 5 tiers), detachable strut tiers, cantilevered options
Benefits of Automated Hanger Placement
Switching to automated hanger placement unlocks numerous advantages for contractors, fabricators, and project teams:
Increased Efficiency
- Automating this slow process can cut hanger placement time by up to 50%. This allows skilled workers to focus on more important tasks.
Enhanced Accuracy
- MSUITE Hangers reduces human error by using validated rules and standards. This ensures each hanger is the right size and in the right position.
Cost Savings
- By eliminating errors and reducing rework, teams can stay on budget and avoid the unexpected costs of manual mistakes.
Improved Collaboration
- A centralized, automated system allows design, fabrication, and field teams to use the same information. This reduces errors in coordination and improves communication for the project.
Accelerated Schedules
- Automation speeds up the design phase, fabrication, and field installation, helping deliver projects faster and with greater certainty.
How MSUITE Hangers Supports Prefabrication
Prefabrication reshapes construction by shifting more work off-site, but its success depends on highly accurate BIM models. MSUITE Hangers help with modular and prefabricated construction. They ensure that someone places and measures the hangers correctly. This reduces waste and keeps production lines running smoothly.
By using automation, contractors can improve:
- Fabrication accuracy and productivity
- On-site installation speed
- Overall project profitability
Real-World Modeling Impact: Better Productivity, Lower Risk
Think about this: hanger placement makes up only about 5% of the BIM scope. However, it can consume roughly 25% of the modeling time, often more. That’s a disproportionate amount of effort for a small but critical part of the project.
MSUITE Hangers helps balance this by applying automation where it has the biggest impact—improving efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. Automating this part of the workflow gives teams a quick return on investment. It helps boost productivity and lower labor risks.
Ready to Transform Your Workflow?
If your team still uses manual workflows for hanger placement, consider finding a better method. Look for one that is faster and more reliable.
MSUITE Hangers provides tools to improve your BIM-to-fabrication process. This helps boost productivity and allows you to complete projects more accurately and quickly.
Learn more at MSUITE Hangers
