15 March 2024
For over 30 years, Entrawood has been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing office furniture in South Africa. The company has built a reputation for innovation and excellence, aiming to create office spaces that foster the success of businesses and entrepreneurs. The integration of TopSolid software marked a major milestone in this pursuit of excellence, paving the way for unparalleled efficiency and precision. This journey towards digital transformation, led by Matthew Hourigan, Industrial Design Manager for Entrawood, reveals how technology can redefine standards in the furniture industry.
5000 furniture components per day
Entrawood and its subsidiary, Entrakor, operate from an 11,000 square meter factory in a special economic zone near Harrismith, capable of producing up to 5,000 furniture components per day. They stand out with their independent melamine pressing factory, offering unique quality control and adaptability. Their diverse product range covers everything from furniture to steel products, with a focus on customization and sustainable local production. The integration of TopSolid played a key role in creating user-friendly products, enabling a library of 3D products ready for manufacturing.
Before TopSolid: 4 independent software and a lot of manual work
Before integrating TopSolid, Entrawood faced significant challenges in its design and manufacturing process. The company used a set of independent software that did not communicate with each other, leading to the need for considerable manual work to maintain design consistency. This fragmentation of tools posed a risk of mismatch between different stages of the design and production process. Entrawood sought to streamline its design process, eliminate errors, and improve the accuracy of its products. The goal was to find an integrated and transparent software solution that could meet the current needs of the company while being a sustainable solution for the future.
The use of multiple distinct software was therefore the norm at Entrawood before the introduction of TopSolid. AutoCAD was used for product drawing, Woodwop for CNC machining programming, Sketchup for visual rendering, and SB System Builder for internal accounting management. The adoption of TopSolid aimed to overcome the limitations of this fragmented approach by creating a unified platform.
Joint management of wood and steel: a decisive criterion
When Entrawood listed its criteria for choosing a CAM/DAM solution, four proved to be particularly important: integration, management of steel and wood in a single software, 3D visualization before production, and integration with Ardis to optimize production planning.
Furthermore, essential features included 3D design, product customization, integration of sub-assemblies, optimization of tool machining, integration into manufacturing software, and financial management via a bill of materials. Karel Steyn, Operations Director for Entrawood, understood these needs and demonstrated the technical and commercial benefits of TopSolid for Entrawood, which therefore chose to equip itself. One argument was decisive, according to Matthew Hourigan: "The main reason was TopSolid's combination of steel and wood." TopSolid's ability to manage both steel and wood, as well as its flexibility, user-friendliness, and ability to meet Entrawood's specific needs, thus made the difference.
Benefits: producing more, in less time, with fewer factory rejects
The integration of TopSolid at Entrawood significantly improved the company's design and manufacturing processes. Efficiency and productivity increased, allowing for more production in less time. Additionally, product accuracy improved, reducing design errors and subsequent adjustments, which had a positive impact on product quality.
Thanks to 3D design, Entrawood can now visualize and validate products before production, eliminating the need to create preliminary work samples, resulting in significant cost and time savings. Time management has been optimized, allowing teams to focus on essential tasks rather than tedious manual processes. Moreover, the reduction in factory rejects due to improved accuracy has had a positive impact on production costs and customer satisfaction.
Over the past 7 years, Entrawood has created over 6000 variants of customized items using TopSolid, demonstrating the software's versatility and ability to meet the company's product customization needs. Having a parametric software like TopSolid has indeed allowed the company to expand the previously offered range into a multitude of custom products. These quantifiable benefits confirm the positive impact of TopSolid on Entrawood's operations, thus reinforcing the company's overall satisfaction with the software.
A meticulously planned installation over several months
The integration of TopSolid at Entrawood was not without challenges, with initial difficulties and adjustments needed in the first few months. However, thanks to the determination of the Entrawood team and the support provided by TOPSOLID, these obstacles were overcome. After a 6 to 9-month installation period, the software became fully operational.
Key steps in this transition included initial training at their factories, the creation of structured catalogs, and testing on various product ranges, gradually applying lessons learned to ensure successful integration. Today, Entrawood benefits from significant improvements in accuracy and efficiency in the design and production of its products.
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"TopSolid has been vital to our business. The comprehensive features of the software allow our team to manage complex projects with confidence, contributing to increased productivity."
Matthew Hourigan, Industrial Design Manager
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Towards the end of production defects
Since adopting TopSolid, Entrawood has undergone a remarkable transformation. Productivity and precision have significantly improved, with a 65% reduction in production defects and management time. The software has enabled the company to create over 6000 variants and customized items, demonstrating unprecedented flexibility and efficiency.
The ability to visualize and correct designs before production has been a key factor in their success. The integration of TopSolid into their manufacturing system has allowed for seamless referencing and bill of materials, linking design to finance and production. Today, TopSolid has become an indispensable element of Entrawood's infrastructure.
The collaboration between Entrawood and TOPSOLID perfectly illustrates the transformative impact of advanced technology in the office furniture sector. The adoption of TopSolid by Entrawood has not only improved their manufacturing processes but has also strengthened their position as a leader in the industry.
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