Case Study
Carpigiani Group cuts design time by 40% after
switching to Creo Elements/Direct Solutions from PTC
TM
Leading Maker of Ice Cream Manufacturing Machines Replaces SolidWorks ® and
Solid Edge ® with PTC’s Direct Modeling Software
Carpigiani Group, Anzola dell’Emilia, Italy
The Carpigiani company was established in 1945 by two
brothers – Bruto and Poerio Carlo Carpigiani – who two years
earlier had invented the first automatic ice cream machine:
the Autogelatiera. From then until today, the company’s slo-
gan has been “Technology for a Sweeter World.” Since 1945,
the Group has maintained its leadership position thanks to a
continuous commitment to designing and developing increas-
ingly innovative machines, by constantly ensuring top quality,
and by following the changing tastes of consumers.
Typical Soft-Serve Ice Cream Machine from the Carpigiani Group.
Page 1 of 4 | Creo Elements / Direct – Carpigiani Group
TM
Formerly CoCreate ®
Carpigiani Group’s impressive network of sales organiza-
tions (direct network, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, and
licensed companies) enables the Group to have a strong
worldwide presence, such that the organization is now a rec-
ognized global leader in the field of homemade ice cream,
soft ice cream, frozen yogurt, shakes, slush, confectionery,
and whipped cream.
The challenge: homogenous and distributed
design structure
• To effectively share design methods, solutions, 3D digital
parts/assemblies and technical information worldwide
• To improve the performance, automation and flexibility of
machines’ electronic components
• To coordinate various international operations through a
single, central organizational base
• To ensure compliance with global regulations demanded
by nations and regions
• To move away from a decentralized, heterogeneous
design structure to a centralized, homogenous, integrated
one
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 Case Study

The solution: Creo Elements/Direct Modeling and

Creo Elements/Direct model manager

• A complete direct modeling, 3D CAD solution with greater

speed, ease, efficiency and flexibility

• A comprehensive product data management solution

for collecting, vaulting and sharing vital 3D CAD data
globally via the Web

• A rich library of 3D parts to boost innovation of new

machines

• Intelligent and secure management of all digital parts

and assemblies

• Natural extension of the company’s 2D system

(Creo Elements/Direct Drafting) for easy ramp-up

The results: cut design time by 40% over previous

design methods

• Improved design quality across the board – from

verification to documentation

• Enabled inexperienced designers to contribute to high-

Carpgiani’s Maestro machine incorporates 14 programs for creams and ice-
quality designs
cream and 18 programs for premium pastry.

• Enabled quick and efficient customization of new designs

• Fueled constant design and production process
improvements across global enterprise
• Replaced inefficient and inappropriate design software
(SolidWorks & Solid Edge)
• Optimized the design of machines’ myriad, interconnected
tubular components
Their company catalogue now includes machines not only for
the production of homemade ice cream, but also for the pro-
duction of homemade confectionery, soft-serve ice cream and
gelato, frozen yogurt, shakes, granita, and whipped cream.
Over the years, Carpigiani has increasingly focused its de-
sign efforts toward improving the performance, automation,
and flexibility of their machines’ electronic components.

Gelato: between art and design Carpigiani customizes many of its machines with optional
accessories or functions, based on customers’ specific orders,
In 1945, the Carpigiani brothers started manufacturing ma-
or to meet the varying standards of the different nations to
chines for the production of homemade ice cream. When
which it ships its products. This process results in a diverse
they achieved widespread distribution of their machines –
lineup of models and systems – from simpler machines con-
with the authentic “Made in Italy” symbols – they instantly
sisting of hundreds of small components, to structurally com-
gained international recognition.
plex ones made up of several thousand parts.
Through subsequent international growth, the company
transformed itself into Carpigiani Group, a global organi-
zation spread across 12 countries in Europe, North America,
and Asia.

Page 2 of 4 | Creo Elements / Direct – Carpigiani Group PTC.com


Homogeneous and distributed design
The globally dispersed structure of development, design, and
maintenance within the Carpigiani Group demands a homo-
geneous design approach–one based on the effective sharing
of methods, instruments, and technical information.
To support this approach, the company adopted PTC’s direct
modeling solution, Creo Elements/Direct Modeling, along
with its complementary PDM (product data management) so-
lution, Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager. These develop-
ment tools facilitate not only the creation of new designs, but
also optimal management and component reuse, with clear
benefits for the entire production process.
With Creo Elements/Direct Modeling, the team designs in the context of
the full assembly for the Maestro, including harnessing, electronic, and
mechanical components.
Page 3 of 4 | Creo Elements / Direct – Carpigiani Group
Case Study
Unified design across remote teams
“In this technological picture, with thousands of typologies
of machines resulting from personalization brought into the
base units,” explains engineer Leonardo Piemontese, leader
and coordinator of design activities, “we require substan-
tial foresight across our international design units. In order
to face this situation, we had to coordinate various units
through an organizational base. By sharing design methods,
we’ve implemented what we consider to be a distributed and
forward-thinking internal engineering department.”
Continues Mr. Piemontese: “The organization of the develop-
ment and production process demanded that we fully share
file components, so that every design choice at every site is
consistent with our optimization principles and in compliance
with the specifics demanded by national regulations.”
With 30 designers distributed across their international units,
Carpigiani Group developed a design strategy: Continue
moving away from a heterogeneous and decentralized struc-
ture toward a homogeneous and logically integrated one,
and be able to share activities via the support of a single col-
lection of parts and assemblies.
Creo Elements/Direct – Efficiency and Simplicity
With those goals in mind, Carpigiani Group decided to ef-
fectively support their design process with Creo Elements/
Direct Modeling and Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager.
This software system, adopted five years ago, was chosen
because it was the natural extension of Creo Elements/Direct
Drafting – the 2D system that most of their designers were
previously using.
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“The adoption of Creo Elements/Direct Modeling and Model
Manager coincided with our changing our design method from
2D to 3D,” said Mr. Piemontese. “We chose Creo Elements/
Direct after analyzing the functional potential of a variety of
solutions available on the market. Our good decision is con-
tinuously confirmed by the efficiency of the direct approach
of Creo Elements/Direct Modeling, as well as the intelligent
and careful management of parts and functions with Creo
Elements/Direct Model Manager,” he stated.
“Of special importance to us,” Piemontese emphasizes, “is
the simplicity of using Creo Elements/Direct Modeling. It per-
mits our designers to proceed in a rapid and assured manner
when composing new designs, without having to resort to bi-
dimensional views – which are difficult to interpret.”
The ease of using Creo Elements/Direct Modeling not only
helped their 2D designers become familiar with 3D, but also
encouraged the introduction of younger designers to the de-
velopment process. Designers with limited experience could use
the direct approach to contribute to designs and help guar-
antee precise results, even with designs of high complexity.
Thanks to the definition of a rich library of 3D parts, which was
built during the initial phase of implementing Creo Elements/
Direct Modeling and Creo Elements/Direct Model Manager,
the design of new machines benefits from optimized compo-
nent production.
New 3D models can be easily and quickly created by the team in
Creo Elements/Direct Modeling.
Page 4 of 4 | Creo Elements / Direct – Carpigiani Group
Case Study
Creo Elements/Direct Modeling and Creo Elements/Direct
Model Manager routinely cut design times at Carpigiani
Group by 40%, compared with previous design methods,
where a bi-dimensional approach limited teams’ design vision
and prevented quick and efficient customization. Design tools
from PTC also help to boost overall design quality across the
board – from team verification to documentation.
Aside from improving the development of standard functional
components, Carpigiani Group can now take full advantage
of the power of the direct approach to optimize the design
of its machines’ myriad interconnected tubular components,
which they had struggled to efficiently organize in the past.
With Creo Elements/ Direct Modeling and Model Manager,
Carpigiani Group has slashed development times and signifi-
cantly improved the means by which it organizes and coordi-
nates data management.
Carpigiani Group’s design partner, EIT Technologies, provid-
ed support and customization of Creo Elements/ Direct Model
Manager, allowing the company to maximize the usefulness
of this data management tool. The company’s remote design
teams have abandoned SolidWorks and Solid Edge in favor
of Creo Elements/ Direct Modeling.
The uniformity of the Creo Elements/ Direct solutions, along
with the power and flexibility of the direct approach to 3D
CAD, fuels constant design and production process improve-
ments across the different branches of the company.
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