Welsh timber frame manufacturer Fforest Engineering has boosted production after piloting a new design software package from Alpine Automation.
Fforest, which has piloted PanelVIEW during the past three years, built a second 24,000ft2 factory in 2003 to exploit the faster production potential of the software. The move more than doubled production and the company is now almost running at full capacity.
PanelVIEW, developed from Alpine’s roof truss system VIEW, produces fully-dimensioned, multiple floor level layouts for timber frame manufacturers.
Fforest, which has helped Alpine make developmental improvements during the pilot period, said: “It used to take us up to three days to design a timber frame kit; now it takes just half a day. Not only that, it gives more accurate costings too.”
Truro-based Alpine intends to launch PanelVIEW on the open market early in 2005.
