CU1703

CASEstudy
architects' design ideas into fully
calculated, actionable designs that can
drive production.
Nick outlined the role that software
plays in the process: "Framing from
Elecosoft is the design platform that
enables us to standardise our input to
the factory. Everything is object-based,
so if we put a window in a wall the
software can automatically cut all the
studs back, and put in every element
you need to form that window. We don't
have to make any manual changes to
the wall, because the system already
knows how."
The system plays a significant role in
helping Nick manage both quality and
information associated with the design
and production process, as he
outlined: "The Framing software is not
just for designing; it's a databasedriven
system so I can draw in costings
for materials, cost labour in, which
helps create the job costing that we are
now importing into our financial
systems. The benefit it brings is not just
using that data itself but linking it
everywhere in the business. What
comes out is not just a drawing - it's all
the information we need to run our
business. It can help us order, track
costs, and be so much more than
people imagine a drawing can be."
UNLOCKING BUSINESS BENEFITS
Today's standards for precision production
quality, as well as design and production
speed, could not be achieved without
software support. Framing software plays a
key role in automating what used to be an
intensely manual process requiring
numerous highly trained people. Having
been with Pinewood since 1999, Nick
recalls the old days very well: "I started at
this company aged 18, and I had to write
every single cutting list up by hand, for
every piece of wood. I feel the benefits
Framing software gives us keenly, because
of how time consuming it used to be, how
error ridden, and how useless the
information was after you wrote it. The
Framing software gives us a massive
speed benefit between getting the drawing
signed off to getting the information to the
shop floor."
IN TUNE WITH CONSTRUCTION
TRENDS
The UK market has been slowly increasing
its use of timber frame for many years,
while offsite manufacturing in general has
been growing rapidly of late. Alongside pinpoint
precision in terms of exact
dimensions, timber framing brings a
valuable element of predictability to
aspects of the construction timeline. The
sector is also increasingly concerned about
the labour markets and shortage of key
skills. Nick explained: "Many of our
customers are suffering with skills
shortages, but they still need to produce on
schedule. Timber frame and other offsite
manufacturers help them with that: we take
some of the skills out of the mix on site, and
into our factory, where we also have a more
controlled environment which can give
them a higher quality product than making
it on site."
LOWERING THE COST OF QUALITY
Timber frame offers real opportunity for
construction customers to lower the cost of
quality, as well as assure the quality of key
elements of their builds. Nick believes that
the fact timber frame experts are
sometimes brought in after the design
stage means customers may be missing a
trick: "In my opinion, especially with BIM,
you need to get all the stakeholders in
place before you start designing - yet we
often get brought in to review completed
designs that have assumed brickwork or
other method apart from timber frame. You
could get the timber frame provider to
design the timber frame elements. We
measure our quality carefully - and the
information transaction between the
customer and ourselves is where much of
the cost of quality lies."
DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION CHANGE
BIM is an increasingly common process
across UK construction and the Framing
software enables Pinewood to deliver BIMready
data objects in a format that can be
easily integrated into an IFC model. Nick
said that "The challenge for our customers
is the performance of wall structures, and
ensuring everything is the exact size they
need it to be. BIM will help connect what
architects and manufacturers do, see the
materials used, click on elements and see
the exact sizes of everything."
As BIM emerged, the company never
considered changing their design software.
Nick told us: "We already work in an objectbased
world of design, and have seen the
benefit that gives us. It should be an easy
transition for us. The Framing software is
fundamental to our manufacturing process
because it creates the files that drive our
saws. Changing design software would
mean building our processes all over
again. Elecosoft has written the software for
us, so that any drawing we create now we
can already output in IFC."
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Pinewood is now looking to extend the
benefits of the Framing software into the
production of flooring. He said: "Elecosoft
have just released a new floor software
module, so now we're looking to automate
our floor scheduling process to get the
same benefits of speed and quality as we
have with walls." He sees few challenges in
doing so, and concluded: "I haven't
scheduled a floor for at least 10 years - but
with this I'll be able to schedule a job at the
same quality as the best floor scheduler."
He is hoping that introducing the flooring
modules will be a smooth process, but is
confident enough in the relationship with
Elecosoft to anticipate a strong level of
support: "We did a lot of work to fine-tune
exactly how we wanted to present
information to the shop floor. Elecosoft
have been very helpful in adding pieces of
software for us to produce that, and it's now
embedded in our manufacturing process. It
does our job costing, works out our labour
rates, produces the files our saws read,
and does everything we need with a press
of about 20 buttons."
Pinewood Structures has become
accustomed to running at full production
capacity. As the demand for offsite
manufacturing in the UK construction
market grows, it is now hoping timber
frame will even more popular to achieve
speedier house-building. Accelerated
Construction has been proactively
supported by government funding and
policy for house-building in 2017, and
timber frame is likely to become an
essential choice on some contracts.
March/April 2017 31