Artform Kitchens have recently moved from being a retailer to a manufacturer, so wanted to start off on the right foot. The Gosford-based company, which serves the Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter Valley regions, invested in Solid Manufacturing programme from Planit , which is used for designing the cabinetry, linked to a Multicam routing and boring machine.
Much of the business is repeat work for builders, although some kitchens are sold to individual end-users who are able to come in and inspect the designs on-screen. Solid Manufacturing produces 3D drawings that can be emailed or faxed to the customer for sign-off.
Artform Kitchens proprietor, Craig Hutchings said that Planit woodworking software is an ideal product for both design and manufacturing simple to use, accurate and minimising materials wastage. Customers can see what they are going to get.
There are no manual errors and the cut components all fit together perfectly. Nesting is done automatically, which means there is good materials utilisation and minimal waste. Artform Kitchens have got three people using the programme, he added.
A Planit trainer spent five days at Artform Kitchens during commissioning of the software. Further training of about one day a year is scheduled. The online help-line is used occasionally. Artform Kitchens’ staff are booked to go down to Planit to enhance their knowledge, as the company intends to expand their kitchen range.
Engineered wholly and solely for the woodworking industry, Planit is a screen-to-machine software. For those workshops automating their businesses with CNC equipment, Planit is fully integrated with the Planit CNC centre, therefore providing a complete screen-to-machine solution that confirms all parts and part operations before sending data to the factory.
Planit is easy to set-up for the building of cabinets using favourite joinery techniques. Based on a simple wizard, it allows the creation of unlimited set-ups, mixes various settings per job, changes from one style to another instantly and allows saving of the construction methods for use over and over again.
An operator can customise cabinet sizes, shape, or any construction to suit the customer's needs. Colours and textures can be selected for the whole room or for individual cabinets and parts. Lighting and reflections can be controlled to bring these designs to life well before any manufacturing has begun.
Unlimited detailing includes the following:
- users can configure openings and interior parts
- placement of shelves, dividers, trays, and subassemblies
- control of door reveals, styles, guides and other options per opening
- materials can be changed per job, per room, per cabinet, or per part for complete control
- cabinet shapes can be edited in plan view, elevation view or side view
- prints are made for colour or detailed line drawings
- instant change is facilitated between various construction settings
- parts in part operations change instantly