An Isle of Wight timber frame firm has invested in a new computer design system to grow sales across the UK.
Sydenhams Timber Engineering created a timber frame manufacturing division in December 2000 and within a year was in profit and working flat out to meet demand.
Manufacturing manager Alan Pitts is heading up a seven-strong team of timber frame technicians in the operation that incorporates roof trusses, flooring systems and wall panels.
‘The first essential tool we needed was a timber frame design and construction program and we elected to install MBA Computing’s Construction Designer Timber Frame Modules wall frame, gable frame and roof profile design system,’ he said.
Repeat orders are rare for the company so it needed a system that would allow it easily to design and develop a range of panels incorporating angles and pocket styles.
Sydenhams installed four seats of the MBA software which features a timber floor cassette module. This allows for both I-beam and rectangular section timbers to be used to form the elements of the floor cassette/platform.
Once the main areas of flooring are applied, openings for stairwells and other apertures can be inserted. Detailed sub-elements such as pre-assembled joists, steel sections and fixing components can also be included along with notches and holes for services.
‘With this floor module we can virtually go around the perimeter of the building then press a button and the program will automatically create the building,’ said Mr Pitts.
‘The shopfloor follows the cut lists to produce all the required timber, then uses the computer-derived drawings to make up the panels,’ he added.
