CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
7 December 2004
Implementation Investments
Mark Richey Woodworking Uses Autodesk 3D Design Software for Greater Accuracy, Better Collaboration With Suppliers and Customers
Autodesk Inc. announced that Mark Richey Woodworking and Design, Inc., a manufacturer of quality, high-end architectural millwork, has standardized manufacturing operations on Autodesk Inventor® Series. The company uses Autodesk Inventor Series to create, manage, and share high-quality designs for custom architectural millwork. With the ability to develop lifelike 3D solid models of complex design concepts, which Autodesk Inventor Series provides, Mark Richey has been able to streamline production, reduce errors, and accelerate client approvals for greater productivity and outstanding customer service.
Massachusetts-based Mark Richey Woodworking helps bring the visions of architects and interior designers to life, in high-end millwork for multimillion-dollar retail, restaurant, corporate, university, and museum projects. Much of the company's work is for interiors that are under construction and prone to changes that impact Mark Richey's products, even as they are made. Using Autodesk Inventor Series, Mark Richey can produce designs that are dynamically updated as project data changes, enabling accuracy and greater productivity from staff who no longer labor over 2D drawing modifications. On installation, field crews now have up-to-date information to complete projects as smoothly as possible.
"Three-dimensional concepts are difficult to render, much less communicate, in 2D, and something always gets lost in translation," said Greg Porfido, chief operating officer, Mark Richey Woodworking. "We see great value in using Autodesk Inventor Series to address this fundamental challenge. The transition to 3D has improved our client and partner collaboration with intuitive models of sophisticated concepts and has cut the need to 'build up' 2D drawings into 3D, prior to production."
Autodesk Premier Solutions Provider M2 Technologies, Inc. is helping Mark Richey incorporate Autodesk Inventor Software into its production process, including integration with EdgeCAM from Pathtrace for computer numerically controlled (CNC) manufacturing. Prior to adopting Autodesk Inventor Series, Mark Richey employees had to modify 2D drawings manually to achieve 3D approximations necessary to set up machining equipment. Autodesk Inventor Series speeds the creation of accurate 3D models by automating some of the most difficult drawing tasks such as curved surfaces and channels. These design files are easily translated by CAD/CAM equipment into machine commands that control tooling, which improves quality, accuracy, and responsiveness.
Autodesk Inventor Series also helps Mark Richey keep pace with changing project specifications. Installation site measurements often change as floors, walls, and ceilings are built. Because Autodesk Inventor Series captures the relationships among parts in a design, as site changes are entered into the system, associated aspects of millwork design and relevant drawings are updated automatically.
"Mark Richey Woodworking makes a complex, custom product, so the company has to balance design quality and precision with the fact that specifications do change over the course of a project," said Robert Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. "Autodesk Inventor Series gives manufacturers like Mark Richey the 3D design tools to make any number of changes, with the assurance that all related drawings will be correct and up to date."
Looking ahead, Mark Richey expects Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions to become a foundation for competitive advantage. The company is working with M2 Technologies to extend the value of Autodesk Inventor for production of certain kinds of simple casework and plans to adopt Autodesk® Vault and Autodesk® ProductstreamT data management software for more efficient re-use of successful designs and greater collaboration with the extended manufacturing team.
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