Central Valley Casework

Central Valley Casework Uses CABINET VISION Automation and Parametric Tools to Tackle Custom Projects with Challenging Shapes

Ensuring consistency and exceeding expectations are tasks on the daily to-do list at Central Valley Casework, which is why the company has a reputation for quality that attracts new customers and retains repeat business.

“Our customers really like us, and so we’ve reached a point with our general contractors where everyone really understands each other and works well together,” says Tom Cornell, owner of Central Valley Casework, or CVC, based in Madera, California.

Though nestled in the heart of the state’s Central San Joaquin Valley, CVC performs a significant amount of work in Southern California locales, such as Santa Barbara, and Northern California regions like Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ninety-five percent of the company’s work is commercial and includes projects for medical, educational, commercial and retail facilities, while its residential work involves high-end, custom jobs.

To manufacture its diverse array of projects, CVC has used the CABINET VISION design-to-manufacturing solution, by Vero Software, since 2004. Though the company had previously used a different CNC solution, Cornell made the switch to CABINET VISION for greater overall ease of use.

“I got CABINET VISION because I believed that it was easier to use than our previous system, and I really needed something more simplistic,” says Cornell, adding that the company has increased production and automation by 70 to 80 percent with the CABINET VISION system.

Attracting and retaining skilled labor is an ongoing challenge for CVC, which practices cross-training for its staff, currently comprized of about 15 employees. Cornell finds that requiring employees to become proficient in CABINET VISION has helped to reduce error and boost efficiency.

“We use the 3D capabilities of CABINET VISION to sell our product by providing 3D drawings with every submittal. This allows our customers, such as those in the medical industry, to conceptualize the final product.”

Tom Cornell, owner

To begin a job in CABINET VISION, the CVC team enters the dimensions of the space in which the project will be built, followed by the dimensions of the project. After the data is entered, the solution creates an accurate, detailed visual representation of the finished project.

The data is also used to create photo-realistic renderings of the final result, which is a useful tool when dealing with customers who are not contractors or architects, and who may not be able to easily visualize the finished job.

“We use the 3D capabilities of CABINET VISION to sell our product by providing 3D drawings with every submittal,” Cornell says. “This allows our customers, such as those in the medical industry, to conceptualize the final product. People often have a hard time conceptualizing what we’re doing until it’s finished, so this helps a lot.”

Once all vital job data is entered into the software, a click of the mouse will generate toolpath that can be sent to a CNC router. Created to help woodworkers manage every aspect of the job, from design to manufacturing, CABINET VISION will also automatically create cut lists, assembly sheets, material requirements, and job estimates.

To further organize shop-floor processes and streamline production, CVC uses CABINET VISION’s labeling system. With barcodes applied to each cut piece, error is reduced and assembly is made faster and easier for shop staff.

“CABINET VISION provides a printed label of each part number that includes job number, cabinet number, material and edgebander instructions,” says CVC Chief Engineer Victor Morfin. “It makes everything a lot easier because everyone knows what they’re looking at.”

CVC generates even greater efficiency by taking advantage of the automation capabilities provided with CABINET VISION User Created Standards, or UCSs. UCSs are custom construction methods, or company preferences, that can be automatically applied under specific conditions. For example, if a user writes a UCS for a custom construction method when a certain type of material is used, CABINET VISION will automatically apply that method when that material is selected.

Morfin, who writes many of the company’s UCSs, notes that the CABINET VISION customer forum has proven to be a valuable resource for discussing UCSs and other programming topics with his peers. “The people on the forum are very nice and willing to share their ideas and experience, which has been helpful,” he says.

The CVC team is frequently challenged with programming jobs involving “some really complex shapes that stretch the limits of CABINET VISION,” Cornell says.

“With the software, we are able to program shapes that would be very difficult and time-consuming to make without it,” Cornell says. “We make a lot of cabinets, but we also do some very complex projects, and we’re able to make those work with CABINET VISION.”

To save time and simplify the programming process, Cornell and his team utilize the parametric capabilities of CABINET VISION, which allow users to save designs to a user library from which they can be pulled, applied to new jobs, and easily adjusted for size. The software’s parametric structure is especially useful for jobs that are very similar or even identical in every aspect except for size.

“The library lets you save whatever you want, so you can save any process to reuse it, tweak it, and use it again,” Morfin says. “It saves you from having to do a lot of the same work over and over again.”

Morfin also notes that the system’s customizable user interface allows him to tailor programming methods to suit his needs and preferences. “Instead of having to go back to the library every time, you can save the processes that you use the most and make it so that they’re always visible on your screen.”

The software’s ease of use includes the ability to both drag and drop and copy and paste design elements, such as hardware.

“I can take a bracket and drag and drop it wherever I want to, and from there I can position it,” Morfin says. “I really like the software: It’s really about setting it up the way that you want it to save you time and fit the work that you do.”

About the Company

Name: Central Valley Casework

Business: manufacturer of casework, permanent point-of-purchase displays, store fixtures, and more

Web: cvcasework.com

Benefits Achieved

Realistic renderings help customers to conceptualize final products
Parametric capabilities save programming time on jobs that are similar or identical in every aspect except for size
User Created Standards help to automate and consistently apply company standards
The barcode labeling system helps to organize and ensure accuracy on the shop floor

Comments

“We use the 3D capabilities of CABINET VISION to sell our product by providing 3D drawings with every submittal. This allows our customers, such as those in the medical industry, to conceptualize the final product.”

Tom Cornell, owner

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