# Prodtex

By digitally rehearsing Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium facade installation, Prodtex identified workflow risks early, enhancing safety and saving about €350,000.

 ![Prodtex hero banner > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-hero-banner.jpg)

[   Watch the video
 56 seconds     ](https://youtu.be/BOVt8GsupCw)

Digital Construction Planning for Everton Stadium

Seven months after fitting the first façade panel on Everton Football Club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium in the UK, skilled workers secured panel number 872, the final section of the barrel-shaped cladding that wraps around the full length of the east and west stands. By this point, the process had become routine. Using a specially adapted crane attachment to guide the polished aluminum panels into place, the installation team followed a sequence that had already been tested, refined and validated inside a virtual twin ahead of time.

In construction, this level of certainty is unusual. The industry has traditionally relied on solving problems in the field. However, when you have nearly a thousand unique panels to install on a tight schedule, you can’t leave anything to chance, which is why main contractor Laing O’Rourke and specialist contractor Lindner Prater brought in engineering company Prodtex to rehearse the entire façade installation digitally.

“The idea was to bring us in to do digital validation of the installation process and de‑risk it before work began,” said Ricky Cartwright, head of technology at Prodtex. “It was almost the perfect project for us because usually we get called in at the point of installation, when something’s gone wrong or the design is already locked down. Here, the design and installation method weren’t yet fully fixed, so we had the opportunity to evaluate the whole process and make changes to get the best solution.”

Working months ahead of installation, the Prodtex team, specialists in deploying Dassault Systèmes solutions for construction, built a detailed 3D model of the stadium infrastructure and simulated the façade installation process using [CATIA](/products/catia/3dexperience-catia "3DEXPERIENCE CATIA") and [DELMIA](/products/delmia/3dexperience "3DEXPERIENCE DELMIA") on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform. Bringing design, structural performance, process simulation and operational planning together in [a single collaborative environment](/3dexperience-platform "The 3DEXPERIENCE platform") enabled the team to identify risks, avoid delays and **save an estimated €350,000 in installation costs**.

(Prodtex video)

prodtex_-_construction_planning_|_dassault_systèmes

56 seconds

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Click here for the Prodtex video transcript

900 unique panels. Complex lifts. Tight access. Safety risks.

In construction, certainty is rare.

At Everton Stadium, Prodtex changed the game.

Months in advance, Prodtex built and simulated the entire 3D model, checked every move, every step before site work begun with Dassault Systèmes solutions.

Result?

Exceptional execution from day one. Build up safer, smarter, faster with confidence and saved €350,000.

Build virtually first. Leave nothing to chance.

DFMA Approach Optimized Construction Processes

Prodtex specializes in applying advanced digital manufacturing principles to construction. Its work often focuses on the design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) methodology to understand exactly how something will be built long before production begins.

“Most construction simulations cover big-picture planning,” Cartwright said. “You see elements arriving, cranes moving, things appearing in place according to the schedule. But as time goes on, the logistics get less detailed and a lot of it seems to be magically built by fairies. We use CATIA and DELMIA to take a nuts‑and‑bolts look at what’s happening. If there’s a significant risk or a process is repeated hundreds of times, there’s value in going deeper. Small optimizations quickly add up.”

Modern construction is pushing into ever more demanding territory as architects embrace complex geometries and new, more sustainable materials without compromising on cost or delivery timelines. For the Everton stadium project, one of the biggest challenges was determining how to install the façade panels around the building’s curved design. Lifting sequences and access hadn’t yet been tested so construction scheduling estimates were built on assumptions.

“If you don’t understand how to install one panel, how can you estimate the time for almost a 1,000 of them?” said James Wilkinson‑Brown, head of digital manufacturing at Prodtex. “We needed to get the answers to questions like ‘Can someone actually reach those bolts safely?’ ‘Is this tool suitable?’ ‘Will anything clash?’ ‘How does this affect the worker when you repeat this process hundreds of times?’”

Even though each panel on the stadium façade is technically unique due to the building’s curvature, the underlying installation logic remains consistent. That meant the Prodtex team didn’t need to simulate every panel individually. Instead, they focused on the most difficult scenario and simulated the installation of the façade column located on the tightest, most vertical section of the stadium’s curved roof.

“This particular column of panels had the most extreme curvature and the worst access,” Cartwright said. “If we could make it work there, then the other areas would be as straightforward. We interviewed all the key stakeholders to understand the planned process, equipment and engineering. Then, we set up the digital rehearsal.”

 Most construction simulations cover big-picture planning. You see elements arriving, cranes moving, things appearing in place according to the schedule. But as time goes on, the logistics get less detailed and a lot of it seems to be magically built by fairies. We use CATIA and DELMIA to take a nuts‑and‑bolts look at what’s happening. If there’s a significant risk or a process is repeated hundreds of times, there’s value in going deeper. Small optimizations quickly add up.

Ricky Cartwright

Head of Technology, Prodtex

 ![Prodtex Ricky Cartwright > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-ricky-cartwright.jpg)

Simulating All Installation Processes and Equipment in one Platform

Over seven weeks, the Prodtex team worked with Laing O’Rourke and Lindner Prater on the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to build and test the full installation process. Prodtex imported detailed building and façade models from third-party systems into CATIA before simulating the installation work sequence with DELMIA.

Working from the shared platform meant that engineers, planners and construction partners could evaluate the process together. Equipment data, manufacturer specifications and site constraints were integrated into the simulation, along with DELMIA’s [virtual ergonomic mannequins](/products/delmia/industrial-engineering/ergonomics "Ergonomics"), to see how cranes would operate and how installers would reach components.

“A lot of our value comes from bringing everyone and everything together – architectural models, building information modeling data, site logistics information and even satellite imagery – into the same environment,” Cartwright said. “Contractors often struggle to see both the big picture and the detailed process at the same time. The simulation gave them that holistic view.”

Prodtex captured every aspect of the workflow within the digital rehearsal, including different lifting and access strategies as well as ergonomic and reach analysis. Issues like ‘this bolt can’t be reached’ or ‘this area isn’t accessible,” were flagged in a continuous feedback loop with the façade design team and equipment providers, which then made adjustments and tested them in the updated configuration.

“Aligning the panels was fine,” Cartwright said. “But the manual bolting raised concerns. Visibility was poor and worker access was awkward. The rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) ergonomic score \[a way of grading biomechanical and musculoskeletal risks, from one (safest) to seven (dangerous)\] was four, so not catastrophic but also not acceptable for a task that would be repeated hundreds of times. The biggest issue was removing the lifting frame. The mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) basket only had space for one worker, but the task needed two. And while you could reach to bolt one side, on the other side it was impossible without leaning dangerously out of the MEWP. Left unresolved, the issue would likely have caused delays, unsafe working conditions and potential damage to the façade panels.”

As a result of the simulation, Lindner Prater redesigned part of the lifting tooling so it could be accessed from a single side to bring the RULA score down to one. The team also switched to a larger MEWP to accommodate two people.

Prodtex engineers used the **3D**EXPERIENCE platform to digitally rehearse the installation of Everton Stadium's façade, validating workflows, improving worker safety and optimizing the installation process before construction began.

 [![Prodtex engineers using 3DEXPERIENCE platform to simulate facade installation for Everton Stadium construction project.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-platform-image-1.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-platform-image-1.jpg)

 [![Virtual model of Everton Stadium's façade displayed on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-everton-facade.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-everton-facade.png)

 [![Prodtex engineer working on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to simulate Everton Stadium's façade installation.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-platform-image-2.png)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-platform-image-2.png)

 [![Simulation of construction operators installing façade panels in a virtual twin on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-everton-webinar-operators-2.jpg)](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-everton-webinar-operators-2.jpg)

Virtual Reality Construction Demo Reveals Worker Insights

To understand the job from the workers’ perspective, Prodtex also tested the installation sequence in virtual reality (VR). Wearing VR headsets, workers stepped into the virtual stadium, guided the panels into place from the MEWPs and fastened bolts, experiencing the workflow exactly as it would happen on site.

“Some simulated scenarios were clear ‘absolutely not’ moments, like taking a basket inside the steel structure to reach a bolt,” Wilkinson-Brown said. “Seeing it in the VR made the risk obvious in a way a spreadsheet could never show.”

One of the most powerful aspects of the VR experience was how it opened up the conversation beyond the engineering team. Because the simulation felt so real, construction safety specialists, logistics planners and site managers could all step inside the process and evaluate it for themselves. Observations from an experienced installer revealed practical challenges the team hadn’t initially anticipated.

“At first, he said, ‘Just give me the drawings; I’ll figure it out on the day,’” Wilkinson-Brown said. “But once he tried the VR simulation, he started pointing out problems straight away. He said things like ‘I can’t reach that.’ ‘I’d have to hang out of the basket, which would be impossible in the wind.’ ‘I need a bigger basket or another person to help me.’ ‘This plate would hit my chest so I couldn’t do this in real life.’” The installer appreciated the opportunity to rehearse the sequence ahead of time, give his feedback, suggest improvements and, ultimately, make his work safer and more efficient.

 This industry has long relied on working things out on site. But when you start rehearsing the work before it happens, you realize just how many problems you can solve before anyone picks up a tool. \[...\] Dassault Systèmes’ construction technology solutions act as a catalyst for change in all of this, giving architects, engineers and contractors the ability to build virtually first and leave nothing to chance.

James Wilkinson‑Brown

Head of Digital Manufacturing, Prodtex

 ![Prodtex James Wilkinson headshot > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-james-wilkinson-headshot.jpg)

Tackling Safety and Skills Shortages in Construction Head On

Projects like this are a great example of how digital planning can improve safety in an industry where risk management is a constant concern. Construction remains one of the most physically demanding and high-risk industries in the world. Workers spend long hours at height, lifting heavy materials and operating complex machinery. Even relatively small design oversights such as a bolt that’s difficult to reach or a tool that doesn’t quite fit can lead to long-term injuries when repeated hundreds of times.

Dassault Systèmes’ advanced digital construction modeling, simulation and [virtual twin capabilities](/virtual-twin "Virtual Twin Experiences") help identify and rectify these issues early to better protect workers and avoid unnecessary risks. They also play an important role in tackling the global skills shortage by making construction jobs more predictable, efficient and appealing to the next generation. It’s a step towards a future where construction is safer, smarter and significantly more productive.

“This industry has long relied on working things out on site,” Wilkinson‑Brown said. “But when you start rehearsing the work before it happens, you realize just how many problems you can solve before anyone picks up a tool. Let’s face it, it’s always cheaper to fix a design early than after something has been manufactured or installed. It lessens the risks involved and makes jobs far more rewarding. Dassault Systèmes’ construction technology solutions act as a catalyst for change in all of this, giving architects, engineers and contractors the ability to build virtually first and leave nothing to chance.”

Focus on Prodtex

Prodtex is shaping the future of digital manufacturing by helping create innovative and well-planned visions for industry development. The company works closely with market leaders and universities to enhance flexibility, efficiency and quality across manufacturing sectors. Specializing primarily in automation, Prodtex combines extensive experience in virtual production with a deep understanding of real-world industry challenges. The team at Prodtex offers a broad range of services, including CATIA, SIMULIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA and **3D**EXPERIENCE solutions, tooling and fixture design, flexible and reconfigurable tooling, virtual production planning, robot programming, training, research and consultancy.

**For more information:** [www.prodtex.com](http://www.prodtex.com)

 ![Prodtex logo > Dassault Systèmes](https://www.3ds.com/assets/invest/2026-07/prodtex-logo-cmyk-with-strapline.png)