"Thanks to the multiple drawings option, we can make plans in record time, with all their views, dimensions, holes, parts lists, markings, etc ", says Laurent Vachon with pleasure.

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The company Denis Industries was created in Vendée in 1957, and has undergone significant changes in the 40 years since its creation (it was bought out by the Moninvest group in 1997). In 2000, Mr. Du Foresto, the current President of Denis Industries, became the majority shareholder in the company, which employs 60 people at present. Denis Industries used to produce classic furniture, but nowadays is involved in new markets:

• Custom shop fitting
• Subcontracting

Fitting out custom design hotel rooms has allowed Denis Industries it to grow and expand its customer base. The company also targets holiday residences, hospitals, nursing homes, university residences, etc. For the subcontracting part of the business, Denis Industries works for kitchen manufacturers, the medical sector, mobile homes, etc.

The step towards TopSolid

In 2000 Denis Industries equipped itself with TopSolid'Wood. The company had already used a well-known CAD solution, but it did not meet their requirements. "I had already worked on renowned software systems", says Laurent Vachon, manager of the company’s design office. "I went to a TopSolid demonstration and I was instantly won over, in particular by the user-friendly presentation of the program." And TopSolid’Wood was a completely new software at the time. "In the beginning, we could only simulate profiling and counter profiling for mouldings", remembers Laurent Vachon.

Since 2000, the software has evolved considerably, and is updated every year. Nowadays it allows complex modelling, with all types of geometries: wireframe, surface, and solid. In addition to profiling and counter-profiling, it now takes into account the design tenons and mortises, fillets with constant and variable radius, holes with fixed distances, pockets, ledges, grooves, etc. The software handles the management of assemblies containing several thousand parts or components that were designed directly in the model or assembled via positioning constraints. In terms of kinematics, it simulates the typical connections (sliders, pivots, etc.) Finally, thousands of standard parts for the wood industry are available, grouped by family: tracks, hinges, eccentrics, screws and bolts, box frames, doors, cross members, etc. with their assembly procedures directly understood by TopSolid’WoodCam’s machining.

Important time gained in design

TopSolid’s realistic 3D representations are a real strong point of the software. According to Mr. Du Foresto "The graphics and the 3D representation are a great selling point, and give value to our offer. From a commercial point of view, we succeed in convincing our clients of the quality of our work. Not having a true sales force, I would say that it is a key point for our company." TopSolid'Wood is a specialised business product that corresponds precisely to Denis Industries' CAD/CAM requirements. For Mr. Vachon, the Design Office Manager "The 3D plans and the execution plans are always very reliable. It is very simple to produce parts lists and assembly instructions using this software. The scope of TopSolid'Wood is really impressive."

Denis Industries frequently works with hotel chains, and fitted out 80 hotels in 2004. After an in-depth analysis of the client’s needs, the Design Office models the layout of the various rooms in 3D (bedroom and bathroom furniture, etc.). Only having the architect’s plans Denis Industries looks after the design right through to fitting of the furniture. The majority of rooms designed and manufactured are therefore made-to-measure, and Denis Industries has already designed more than 1000 items of furniture in 5 years using TopSolid'Wood. "Thanks to the multiple drawings option, we can make plans in record time, with all their views, dimensions, holes, parts lists, markings, etc ", says Laurent Vachon with pleasure. Furthermore, TopSolid’Wood is a parametric software solution: "I had performed a study for hundreds of wardrobes that were 1050 mm wide. When I received a new order with dimensions of 1100 mm all I had to do was to change this parameter to obtain the new plans", says Laurent Vachon.

Denis Industries also works with companies in the medical field, and in particular with manufacturers of medical beds. According to Mr. Vachon "We safeguard and progressively enhance our know-how in all fields by adding components to the TopSolid'Wood library of intelligent components, which is already very complete.

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