The story starts with a personal tragedy. A man loses his life on unstable scaffolding, and his friend starts thinking about how he could eliminate, as much as possible, the risks for those working on such structures. The 21st-century solution is obvious: make it smart.
Under the coordination of its founder and CEO, Gábor Szanyi, Caadex Kft. developed an improved model of scaffolding. The system is currently unique in the market. It is not only more stable and, therefore, safer than other solutions, but, thanks to its intelligent sensors, it can indicate if the scaffold has been correctly assembled or if it requires maintenance or inspection. The “smart scaffolding” creates a much safer working environment in the construction industry than traditional solutions, and its costs are not significantly higher.
The basis is a redesigned iron structure that is more stable and rigid than traditional constructions and, thus, more resistant to twisting and lateral movement. This racking system is equipped with special sensors that collect and analyze data to give an alert to possible errors and even plan the necessary maintenance. The system utilizes many technological achievements from the digital world in rack production and is a unique combination of static and electronic innovation. The company is unaware of a similar development in Hungary or elsewhere in the world, making it optimistic about patenting and long-term market success.
The 100% Hungarian-owned family company was founded in 1994 and operates in Mindszentgodisa, a rural area in Baranya county 194 km southwest of Budapest by road, with almost 100 employees. The company profile is the production and sale of tin and steel industry parts. Caadex’s mission is to use its 30 years of experience and expertise to help create structures, buildings and machines that result in more livable spaces, more economical operation, safer work and a more environmentally conscious everyday life worldwide.
A significant portion of their products are exported to Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, and Switzerland, but it is also an important domestic supplier to major companies such as Bramac, Bosch, MOL, Prímagáz, Siemens and Total Hungaria. Partly due to its continuous developments, Caadex Kft.’s sales revenue is growing dynamically, reaching almost HUF 5 billion in 2022, when the profit after tax was more than HUF 470 million.
The “smart scaffolding” project has received HUF 321 mln in non-refundable funding from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund. The total investment in the project amounted to HUF 640 mln.
This article was first published in the Invented in Hungary 2024-2025 issue of October 18, 2024.
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