Microvellum software has proved the perfect fit for The Kitchen Works, streamlining its processes and delivering on flexibility and freedom for the team.
The Kitchen Works is a leading kitchen manufacturer, based in Gateshead, North East England.
With over 25 years of experience in kitchen design, manufacture and supply, the company’s products are built to the highest standards, utilising the latest software and machinery in its state-of-the-art factory.
According to Graeme Latimer, the company’s director, his 35 members of staff are producing around 100 kitchens per week–supplying studios throughout the UK.
“We have a reputation for helping bring our clients’ vision to life, no matter the complexity,” says Graeme. “These days, making that happen is easy. But not too long ago, that wasn’t always the case.”
In 2014, after learning the manufacturing software that had been relied on for years was no longer being supported, Graeme and his team set out on a mission to find an alternative solution.
“Our old software worked well for our basic needs,” he says. “Projects were completed on time and our clients were happy with our work. I must admit, we were working too hard and dealing with too many issues that required constant attention.”
The requirements for the new software seemed simple enough to Graeme – it had to provide the flexibility to create specialty units. It had to enable his team with the freedom to provide clients what they wanted without feeling “boxed in” or limited. It had to be capable of producing code for all their CNC machinery – removing the need for secondary software and/or manual program modifications on the factory floor. Most importantly, the solution needed to be capable of receiving project data from other design software – eliminating the need for redundant processes related to secondary project creation and reentering of cabinet specifications.
“We looked at a few different software packages, but ultimately chose Microvellum because of its flexible cabinet libraries, engineering tools and power to support our order workflows,” Graeme explains. “Nearly every project we put through to production will have a unit that does not exist in our catalogue. Using Microvellum, we can create these units with relative ease.
“We have a seamless process from the moment the order is approved by the client – no need for any intervention or modification. Project data is imported, work orders are produced and CNC machine programs are automatically generated for all our machines.”
The Kitchen Works factory is equipped with CNC machinery from Biesse, and includes three Biesse Selco Beam saws, a Biesse Rover B point-to-point, a Biesse Insider FT2 and a BREMA EKO 2.2. CNC programs are created within Microvellum and distributed to each machine on the factory floor.
Today, Microvellum and Biesse are at the heart of the manufacturing processes at The Kitchen Works. According to Graeme, they found the “perfect recipe” for kitchen cabinet manufacturing, and the business is thriving.
