Woodworking tool maker adds a dimension to design

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 22, 2006

Vivaldi expects to cut product development cycles by 50% having adopted OneSpace Designer Modeling, CoCreate's nonparametric 3D CAD software.

Vivaldi has adopted OneSpace Designer Modeling, CoCreate's nonparametric 3D CAD software.

Vivaldi, based in Ala near Trento, Italy, designs and manufactures high-technology woodworking tools.

The company supplies many of the world's leading window manufacturers with a complete line of production tooling.

More than 80% of Vivaldi's products are custom made for individual clients.

As such, the company regularly uses existing designs in new ways to keep product development as lean as possible.

Designer Modeling proved an ideal CAD solution because designers can use it to change existing models without the headaches associated with a history-based modeller.

Up to now, Vivaldi used CoCreate's 2D CAD system, Designer Drafting, for all its drawings.

"So moving to OneSpace Designer modelling was a natural choice", said Leonardi Vanni, Engineer at Vivaldi.

"We already understand the OneSpace approach to design, so moving to CoCreate's 3D tool required little disruption or additional learning time".

Vivaldi worked with CoCreate reseller, EIT, to add the 3D product to its design environment.

"CoCreate products offer a good price/performance ratio", said Vanni.

"We expect Designer Modeling to pay for itself in a matter of months".

The CoCreate solution also supports rich master models.

With rich master models, Vivaldi can attach information to models so that anyone who uses the model now or in the future can be sure of the original designer's intent.

For example, a designer might specify a special manufacturing technique for a tenon cutter or special finish instructions.

"Anytime you can capture and communicate the information in the designer's head, you prevent mistakes and save money", said Vanni.

As a result of this and all the other benefits of using the new 3D CAD tool, he expects to cut product development cycles by 50%, he said.