Ifi S.p.A.
Industry: Furniture for bars, gelato parlors and pastry shops
Location: Tavullia (PU), Italy
Website: www.ifi.it/en
The Company
Innovation and design have been the driving force behind IFI for sixty years, pushing the search for solutions to improve people's quality of life. Founded in Pesaro in 1962 as an artisanal company specializing in custom bar counters, IFI now also designs showcases, refrigerated modules and seating, becoming a reference brand in the furnishings for bars, gelato parlors and pastry shops.
The company stands out as the only one in its sector to have won two Compasso d’Oro ADI awards (Association for Industrial Design), along with various international recognitions for its innovative products.
In addition to IFI-branded products, the company has a division dedicated to the "et al." brand, which focuses on designing chairs and tables for the HoReCa sector, waiting rooms and common office areas, offering high-quality solutions to improve people’s well-being and their relationship with their living space.
The Challenge
Before adopting ThinkDesign, IFI primarily worked in 2D, which limited flexibility and workflow efficiency. The transition to 3D posed a significant challenge, but it was essential for revolutionizing the company’s work processes. The adoption of 3D modeling has greatly improved the accuracy and effectiveness of design, allowing for the development of complex and innovative details with a new creative freedom.
ThinkDesign as a Solution
ThinkDesign has been adopted by all the Research & Development departments of the company. One of the main reasons IFI chose it as their 3D CAD is its extraordinary versatility. The program effectively manages every phase of the design process, from 3D modeling to handling complex surfaces and sheet metal, all the way to creating high-quality renderings. Thanks to this flexibility, designers can tackle projects without needing additional tools, optimizing learning time and improving operational efficiency. It is precisely this ability to adapt to different design needs that has made ThinkDesign the ideal choice for the company.
ASSOCIATIVE SURFACES
Surface modeling is essential for those looking to create and modify complex shapes, which are fundamental in the world of design, especially in the furniture sector. IFI utilizes ThinkDesign to optimize its creative process. With complete surface associativity, users can easily build and modify their creations, ensuring maximum precision and flexibility while creating furniture and display showcases that combine aesthetics and functionality.
UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT FOR PARTS AND ASSEMBLIES
One of the distinctive features of ThinkDesign, particularly appreciated by IFI and now an integral part of the company’s design workflow, is the ability to manage both parts and assemblies within the same document, whether they are mechanical components, sheet metal, piping, or components with complex geometry obtained through surface modeling. ThinkDesign promotes a flexible and intuitive modeling process, allowing users to easily combine and modify parts within a single interface. This approach has revolutionized the way IFI designers approach their work, fostering a more integrated and collaborative design process.
Competitive pressure always presents us with new challenges: in addition to the speed of development, which has long been crucial for companies’ success, there is now the volatility of requirements, forcing R&D teams to make quick course corrections to keep up with the changing demands of the market. In this context, ThinkDesign and ThinkTeam PDM promote the agility of new product development without burdening it with excessive operational constraints.
RENDERING TOOLS
In the sector where IFI operates, the ability to visualize projects realistically is a key element for success. Thanks to the powerful rendering tools of ThinkDesign, the company has improved its communication with clients, allowing them to preview creations and provide immediate feedback. This interactive approach not only accelerates the decision-making process but also enables real-time modifications. ThinkDesign offers the ability to create highly detailed renderings, precisely defining the characteristics of materials, lighting and the surrounding environment. In this way, IFI not only presents its solutions in an engaging manner but also creates a smoother and more rewarding collaboration experience for its clients.
SHEET METAL
ThinkDesign offers a comprehensive solution for designing sheet metal parts. These features are essential for producing showcases and furnishings for bars and gelato parlors, as they allow for the creation of structures with complex geometries that are both robust and elegant. With ThinkDesign, designers can start from scratch or use existing models, whether native or imported from other CAD software via IGES and STEP formats. A distinctive aspect of the program is its ability to manage models with different bend tables within the same project.
This enables designers to adapt their designs to specific production requirements, such as creating curves to optimize the aesthetics and functionality of the furnishings. Another advantage is the automatic generation of development drawings, ready to be used in production. This not only speeds up the process but also reduces the margin of error, ensuring that projects are accurately and timely prepared for implementation.
PDM INTEGRATION: THINKTEAM
The introduction of ThinkTeam PDM has represented a fundamental change for IFI, enhancing centralized data management and optimizing the entire development process. Thanks to its perfect integration with ThinkDesign, the company has experienced an increase in productivity; designers can now focus more on creativity and innovation without wasting time on file management. Additionally, ThinkTeam has streamlined and improved workflows, leading to significant benefits such as reduced time to market and greater overall efficiency.
Conclusion
The adoption of ThinkDesign and ThinkTeam has profoundly transformed the way IFI operates. The ability to use powerful and integrated software products has not only made the design process more efficient but has also contributed to IFI's success in a highly competitive market, where innovation and adaptability are essential. With a diverse clientele ranging from small gelato parlors to large restaurant chains, flexibility in design is crucial to meet the specific demands of each customer. Thanks to ThinkDesign, IFI is now equipped with the necessary tools to tackle future challenges and respond to the ever-evolving needs of its clients.