The ability to produce 3D drawings was a key factor in Paneltec Manufacturing winning a five-year contract to refurbish up to 1,250 dental surgeries across the UK.
The Somerset-based family-run Furniture Manufacturer originally invested in Cabinet Vision software to provide an integrated link between their machines, but it quickly became the mainstay of its whole operation, starting at the quotation stage and running right across the manufacturing process.
Paneltec general manager Ian Larner said Cabinet Vision provided the edge in securing the dentist contract.
“We were the only company that sent them 3D renderings, and it also gave us the ability to work out to the penny how much it would cost to kit out the demo layout, which helped us know how competitive we could be on price,” he said.
He said the non-standard nature of dentist cabinets meant that Paneltec would have had to change programming for each individual cabinet if it did not have Cabinet Vision.
Optimised cutting sheets are sent to Paneltec’s Selco beam saw, while the drilling program is sent to the Biesse CNC drill. Each cabinet is numbered, and each panel for that cabinet has the same ID number.
As it cuts, the beam saw prints a bar code label which also contains a drawing of the panel showing details of which sides need edging strips to be put on by a Homag edgebander. And scanning the bar code at the CNC drill automatically pulls the correct drilling program up.
This labelling system also aids on-site installation because the drawing contains the same cabinet numbering used in production.
Paneltec also manufactures a range of other products including toilet cubicles, kitchens and bespoke panel products, using AutoCad LT 2011 and Cabinet Vision Ultimate with Screen to Machine.
