Swiss technology and industrial company Thermoplan has been developing and producing innovative professional coffee machines since 1974. Customers include the Starbucks® and Costa Coffee coffee. The location in Switzerland was deliberately chosen because the company procures around 80% of machine components in Switzerland and assembles exclusively at its Weggis location. As a proven “Swiss made” company, Thermoplan faces its daily challenges with passion and enthusiasm, true to the motto: “Your challenge is our passion”!
The technically sophisticated and modular fully automatic coffee machines are developed and manufactured with precision and perfection by the 420 employees. The company has a special focus is on the creation of new, innovative products and concepts: “We are a driver of innovation within the industry, which is why around a quarter of our workforce works on the development of new and market-specific concepts and products.” Says Renato Schaible team leader for design Thermoplan.
Unanimous decision after a 3-month test phase
The construction of new components made of metal or plastic has been done in Solid Edge, a CAD application from Siemens®, for over ten years. In order to get the most out of the software and drive continuous improvement, the designers trialled new peripherals
Over a period of three months, four designers tested three candidate mice. The decision to opt for the CadMouse Wireless from 3Dconnexion was unanimous after the test phase. The switch from the standard mouse used previously to the CadMouse Wireless went smoothly for the Swiss company.
“The high resolution and the almost smooth gliding on the dedicated mouse pad are the most profitable features of the CadMouse for us. We tested various mice and the 3Dconnexion mouse was clearly the best choice! ” commented Renato Schaible. “It lies comfortably in the hand and can be operated wirelessly; I really appreciate it. When I go to a meeting, I just put the mouse in my pocket, because working in Excel and other programs is much more pleasant with the CadMouse than with the notebook’s trackpad, ” Schaible continued.
Precise work in the sketch environment
The developers at Thermoplan benefit from the precision of the CadMouse, particularly when working in sketch mode. “In the sketch environment, we work with lots of fine lines and points that are close together. Picking up the points is much easier thanks to CadMouse, ”explains Schaible. The precision results in part from the high sensor resolution and also from the adaptive sampling frequency. In interaction with the mouse feet made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) specially developed by 3Dconnexion, an optimized ratio of static and sliding friction guarantees continuous tactile feedback, which enables users to make precise, fluid mouse movements and pinpoint cursor control.
Since the end of 2019, a total of 38 Thermoplan designers have been using the CadMouse Wireless from 3Dconnexion in addition to the SpaceMouse Pro. “The mouse noticeably improves the workflow and helps to exploit the full potential of Solid Edge.” tells Renato Schaible. In CAD applications, the middle mouse button is often used to rotate parts. “With standard mice, this works rather tediously, as pressing the mouse wheel often causes the wheel to turn slightly. As a result, there is also an undesirable zooming in, ”continues Mr. Schaible. To remedy this, 3Dconnexion has integrated the additional middle mouse button in all CadMouse models. This prevents unintentional use of the mouse wheel and, with an average of 60 g less effort, is a lot more ergonomic than clicking on the scroll wheel.