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Cabinet Vision Meets The Precision Engineered Kitchen
When quality kitchen manufacturer Naked Kitchens suffered a workshop fire, Cabinet Vision software assisted in getting them back into production with minimum time loss.
Naked Kitchens, the kitchen brand of Norfolk Oak, is based in a grand bomb-proof WW2 hangar at a decommissioned RAF airfield in Fakenham. Marketing Executive Ciaran O’Neill says the fire caused considerable damage to one area, but once the electricity was reconnected to their computers, Cabinet Vision got them back in action extremely quickly.
“We definitely wouldn’t have recovered so quickly without it. Using Cabinet Vision’s 3D wire frame diagrams we could see the engineering aspects of all the kitchens we were working on at the time and optimise them correctly. Then we simply used Screen-To-Machine to send the NC code to our Holzher Pro Master CNC machine and we were cutting wood again.”
He particularly likes the wire frame view, likening it to engineering schematics used by car manufacturers. “Most kitchen companies just show a computer-generated image of what the finished kitchen will look like, but because our kitchens are at the quality end of the market our customers like to see the engineering behind them.
Ciaran O’Neill, Marketing Executive
Having previously conducted experiments proving that individual cabinets could hold a loading of around half a tonne, they forklifted a two-tonne Land Rover on to four Scandinavian Birch Ply cabinets. “The cabinets didn’t creak or sway at all due to the fine engineering and manufacturing processes. Cabinet Vision is a key part of these processes and pushing the software to its full potential was crucial in us creating precisely built kitchens out of the finest natural materials that will look great and last a lifetime.”
While their principal business model is business-to-consumer, dealing directly with the end-user, the company has begun a franchise operation, supplying unassembled kitchens to fitters and joiners. “It’s an all-in-one service where we offer fast, accurate design and production that can machine a kitchen in a day. We then deliver it straight to the fitter’s company, or directly to their customer.”
As well as the Naked Kitchen arm, Norfolk Oak also provides a comprehensive design and manufacturing service for worktops, furniture, flooring, gates, mouldings, gifts and conservatories. “The biggest thing we manufacture is a full kitchen, and the smallest is a chopping board and briquettes for fires and log burners.”
Materials include solid Oak, Maple, Walnut, Cherry and African timbers such as Mahogany, along with Scandinavian Birch Ply which can be veneered with either Oak, Walnut or our translucent coloured melamine.
Designer Jessie Hacking says it takes between 20 minutes and an hour to create a full kitchen using Cabinet Vision, while it could be up to several hours by hand. “We input all the job information, including construction methods, finishes and hardware, then take it into the Section view to make changes, working with the cabinets, shelves, drawers and doors. If we need to change the shape of the cabinet it’s simply a case of going into the Plan view and editing the design. Once we’ve finished the design we get screen shots of the plans and elevations and send them to the customer.”
Cabinet Vision is simple to use and has no design limitations, she says “It allows full control over the complete kitchen design…we can include appliances and other furniture, even power sockets, to show the overall effect of the room, rendered in different styles, so it is really easy for us to help customers visualise their kitchens.”
Norfolk Oak also use Cabinet Vision’s Label-IT™ module, which prints and places labels. Parts are selected by simply touching the screen. Easy to read graphic labels are printed instantly for each part and the screen updates automatically to show which parts and panels have been completed.
About the Company
Name: Norfolk Oak
Web: www.norfolkoak.com
Benefits Achieved
- Customers see the engineering behind their kitchens
- No design limitations
- High precision and super-strong kitchens
Comments
“The wire frame means we can show them exactly how their kitchen is put together…..we can say this is why your kitchen will be assembled to absolute high precision.”
Ciaran O’Neill, Marketing Executive