Kadence studio: Effective, quick and digitally agile expertise

Vehicle makers are incresingly being asked to do more work in less time, meaning projects must be delivered quickly and on budget. Luckily experienced outside help is at hand in the shape of Kadence – the go-to-source of digital modelling expertise for the world’s biggest carmakers. 

Since 2007, Kadence has carefully built a team of experts, creating a tight-knit group that are not just parachuted in for certain projects. All core competence is kept in-house, meaning premium products are delivered to vehicle makers by a single team. 

Kadence has identified a range of challenges that vehicle makers experience with other suppliers, most of which centre on slow delivery times and poor-quality output. The company has also wisely embraced remote working while overcoming worries about security and confidentiality, making for an agile and highly responsive operation. 

And now the company has brought in design technical chief Wayne Morgan, who over 35 years at JLR, Lotus, Ford and BMW has built up a deep understanding of what vehicle makers need when it comes to quality digital modelling. Indeed, Kadence used to be one of his clients, but he liked the way it did things so much, he ended up joining the firm.

A right first-time mentality is built into our ethos

“Our strategy has been to focus on the challenges the digital modelling teams have,” says Morgan. “We found that existing suppliers were more like consulting agencies, only wanting to provide head count with a lack of resource flexibility during peaks and troughs of vehicle programmes. We offer something different.

“Since those early days, digital modelling has continued to transform the way products are designed, speeding up the process from design to manufacture and dramatically improving final product quality,” Morgan continues. “With the introduction of poly-modelling, we can explore many more virtual design themes before proceeding to physical modelling. This allows us to deliver more in less time.”

Full screen in popup

• Previous
• Next

1/4

show caption

Today, digital tools are being used to good effect across interior and exterior designs. Both have their challenges, says Morgan, from creating perfectly matched highlights on the outside to managing complex interface conditions inside. Knowing how to execute projects like these under strict time constraints takes skill.

“Creativity with a technical understanding is the key for any digital modeller. The devil is in the detail,” explains Morgan. “What you see in CAD is ultimately what the customer will see in the product, and it’s far more cost-effective to fix the problem in CAD than in costly downstream tooling changes and timing delays.”

The addition of Morgan to Kadence’s superb team brings a conductor who has seen it all, in many cases shaping the digital modelling strategies of major manufacturers. And as technology continues to evolve, so too does Kadence. “Overnight delivery is a major benefit to our customers, with the data refined and ready for review as the designer logs in the next morning,” concludes Morgan. “A right first-time mentality is built into our ethos.”