Netco Système + myCADtools SolidWorks: Reliable Technical Data for an Industrial Design Office

The Netco Group: 120 years of conveyor maintenance expertise

Netco Système is part of the Netco Group, Europe's leading network for comprehensive conveyor system maintenance. The group currently counts:

• 27,500 clients

• €350 million in revenue

• Over 100 service points across France and Europe (Germany, Luxembourg, Spain)

• 24/7 emergency intervention capability

The group's strength lies in its territorial coverage: local agencies close to clients, able to respond quickly to maintenance needs across all types of conveyor systems, primarily belt conveyors.

Netco Système: the group's design agency

Within this network, Netco Système holds a specific role: it designs and manufactures custom conveyor systems. Its engineering office is made up of three project managers and two technicians responsible for cost estimation.

Each project involves significant variability — every conveyor is adapted to the client's environment and technical constraints on site. Designs typically incorporate a high proportion of sheet metal and welded assemblies, a context well suited to automating standardisable tasks.

2011 – 2016: The early steps

Netco Système's CAD history begins in 2011, with the creation of the agency and the adoption of a dedicated CAD software. During this period, the team builds significant experience on real projects, but without any strong standardisation of practices.

In 2016, a first SolidWorks licence is acquired to complement the existing 3D tools. This acquisition, however, remains limited in its rollout.

2020 – 2022: The real SolidWorks turning point

In the early 2020s, a change in team composition leads to the acquisition of five SolidWorks licences, paired with myCADtools and a staff training programme. The two software environments coexist for a time, though the Covid period slows down the deployment.

It is from 2022 onwards, with the arrival of Michel Tonoli as head of the engineering office, that the tools are fully put into production. From that point, SolidWorks becomes the central tool for all design work.

2023: Adding a 3D scanner

In 2023, Netco Système acquires a 3D scanner, enabling new designs to be integrated directly into the client's existing environment — reducing the risk of layout errors and speeding up the study phase.

1. Repetitive manual tasks weighing on productivity

The first issue identified is productivity lost to non-creative tasks. Designers are no longer called upon solely to design: they also fill in properties within CAD files — part names, item codes, materials, thicknesses — that other departments will rely on downstream. Done manually and without a dedicated tool, these inputs are slow and prone to omissions.

2. The risk of a snowball effect from errors

Information entered incorrectly at the start cascades through every document downstream. An error on a part property can end up in the bill of materials sent to the purchasing department, in the manufacturing order sent to the workshop, and in the documentation delivered to the client. Without standardised data entry, such errors are hard to catch and costly to fix.

3. Time-consuming document management

Producing manufacturing folders, filtered bills of materials, and files for subcontractors (DXF, STEP, PDF) — all of these operations, done manually, consume a significant amount of time at the end of each project.

4. Inconsistent practices across users

With several users working in the same software and no shared framework, practices diverge: properties filled in differently depending on the person, naming conventions not followed, export formats varying from one project to the next. This inconsistency makes collaboration harder and complicates data use by other departments.