SOLIDWORKS and SWOOD: The ideal duo for carpentry design and wood manufacturing optimization

SOLIDWORKS is the gold standard for 3D CAD. Yet, when used in many industries, including mechanical engineering and product design. However, as a timber design software, it has certain limitations in terms of 3D timber modelling and timber production optimisation. As a result, when it comes to wood design and manufacturing, these limitations can make the process less efficient and more error prone. Therefore, to address this challenge, this is where SWOOD, a supplement specially designed for cabinetry, carpentry, interior design, and even the current trend VanLife! comes into play. This solution brings features specific to the wood trade that perfectly complement SOLIDWORKS, facilitating the transition from design to production.

In this article, we’ll explore in detail why SWOOD is a strategic choice for optimizing your wood designs in SOLIDWORKS, highlighting its benefits, features, and impact on the productivity and profitability of companies in the industry.

SOLIDWORKS: A Powerful but Generalist Foundation

SOLIDWORKS is widely recognized for its flexibility in mechanical and industrial design. Key strengths include:

• An intuitive, parametric 3D environment facilitating the design of complex parts and assemblies

• Moreover, extensive integration with analysis and simulation tools (material strength, airflow, kinematics, etc.)

• In addition, advanced management of assemblies and drawings for production

• Finally, a rich ecosystem of plugins and third-party solutions to extend its capabilities according to the user’s needs

However, SOLIDWORKS remains a general-purpose software. In the context of wood design, several limitations are felt:

• Firstly, lack of native management of panels and wood-based materials (MDF, laminate, plywood, etc.)

• Secondly, complexity of creating specific connections (grooves, mortise and tenons, lamellos, etc.)

• Another limitation is the lack of bookcases suitable for hardware components commonly used in layout and millwork

• Finally, the need to develop macros or scripts to automate certain recurring tasks. Consequently, it is in this context that SWOOD brings considerable added value.

SWOOD: Ideal complement for wood design

SWOOD is a set of modules developed specifically for the wood sector, offering a complete solution tailored to the needs of carpenters and furniture manufacturers. Unlike other generalist software, SWOOD stands out for its dedicated approach, integrating a wood CAD plugin that automates the design and assembly of panels, hardware and specific machining. Through woodworking automation, SWOOD helps significantly reduce errors, optimize material usage, and speed up the transition from design to manufacturing, making the process smoother, more cost-effective, and designed to integrate seamlessly with SOLIDWORKS. In other words, it offers dedicated tools that simplify the design and production of wooden furniture, fixtures and structures.

The main modules of SWOOD

SWOOD Design

• Advanced panel management, with automated creation of cutouts and assemblies

• Smart libraries of hardware and standard elements (hinges, slides, fasteners, etc.)

• Generation of detailed bills of materials to optimize purchasing and production

• Automation of wood assemblies and constraints

SWOOD CAM

• Machining module for generating CNC programs adapted to machines in the woodworking sector

• Automatic recognition of drilling and machining

• Machining simulation to detect possible errors before production

• Support for 3, 4 and 5 axis machines

SWOOD Nesting

• Optimization of the placement of parts on the panels to limit falls and reduce costs

• Advanced management of formats and machining priorities

• Management of facades and grouping of items by blank slabs

SWOOD Center

• Product configurator for the wood industry

• SWOOD Center is an advanced solution for configuring tailor-made products in the world of wood and fittings. Integrated with SOLIDWORKS, this configurator optimizes process design, production, and automation.

Why choose SWOOD Center?

• Advanced customization

• Parametric configuration of furniture and layouts

• Managing product variants and options

• Dynamic visualization of changes

• Workflow automation

• Automatic generation of production files (drawings, bills of materials, CNC programs)

• Integration with SWOOD Design and SWOOD CAM

• Material optimization and error reduction

• Time saving and efficiency

• Reduced design time

• Simplifying processes for technical and business teams

• Improved responsiveness to customer requests

• An ideal solution for manufacturers and fitters

Thanks to SWOOD Center, wood professionals can standardize their designs while offering tailor-made solutions to their customers. This configurator is particularly suitable for carpenters, fitters, kitchen designers and furniture manufacturers who want to modernize their design and manufacturing process.

By integrating SWOOD Center into your workflow, you can accelerate your product time-to-market while ensuring a reliable and accurate design.

The Benefits of an Integrated SOLIDWORKS + SWOOD Solution

By combining both solutions, using SOLIDWORKS and SWOOD together provides many benefits, including:

• Time saving: Automation of repetitive tasks such as inserting fasteners, managing panels and exporting files for production

• Reduction of errors: Consideration of the specificities of the wood from the design stage, thus limiting corrections during the manufacturing phase

• Full shop floor compatibility: Ability to generate CNC files that can be used directly by machine tools

• Cost optimization: Less scrap, better management of raw materials and reduction of production times

• Improved collaboration: Easier integration with other departments in the company, including production and purchasing teams

Altogether, these advantages allow manufacturers to gain in competitiveness while guaranteeing optimal quality to their customers.

With SWOOD, companies can streamline their design processes, reduce human error, and maximize shop floor efficiency. As a result, manufacturers can confidently move from design to production.

SWOOD Testimonial: Reviews and Case Studies

For instance, many carpentry and layout companies have successfully adopted SWOOD. Here is a concrete example:

A concrete example is Groupe Beaubois which faced the challenge of improving the efficiency of its project and streamlining its operations. To achieve this, he needed to embrace technological advancements and integrate automation and robotization into his factory. However, he quickly realized that his design software played a vital role in facilitating the flow of information on his equipment. That’s when he discovered the SWOOD solution, which was specially designed for the wood industry.

Text: Groupe Beaubois boosts efficiency and growth thanks to SWOOD

Return on investment and development prospects

From a business perspective, investing in SWOOD represents an initial cost that is quickly amortized thanks to productivity gains. Here are a few things to consider:

• Learning time: Quick training is often enough to master the basics of the software

• Material savings: Better cutting management and reduced errors

• Valuation of internal skills: Designers gain autonomy and efficiency

In the future, the integration of SWOOD with technologies like artificial intelligence and 3D printing could further improve the performance of the industry.

From Design to Production Without Limits

In conclusion, if your processes are disconnected and your work seems to be in silos! Whether you’re switching from one solution to another to get your production up and running, the SOLIDWORKS + SWOOD combination is a powerful, comprehensive solution that’s perfect for you. It helps optimize design, improve accuracy, and increase efficiency, while reducing costs and errors. By integrating SWOOD into your workflow, you ensure better control of your production and increased competitiveness in the market.

Therefore, if you’d like to learn more about SWOOD and its integration with SOLIDWORKS, request a demo of SWOOD for wood design today and learn how to optimize your woodworking and layout projects! Contact us or request a demo today!