Interview with Rod Jones
After many years of dedication, experience and hard work in the woodworking industry, Rod Jones is now retiring.
Through CNC Software Solutions and his long-standing partnership with SPAI, Rod has played an important role in bringing practical, effective software solutions to the UK market, helping customers across different sectors with competence, reliability and deep technical knowledge.
As he begins this new chapter, we wanted to take a moment to thank him and look back on his journey, in his own words.
Can you tell us the story of CNC Software Solutions and your collaboration with SPAI?
How did it all start?
I started my working life as a school teacher of metalwork, woodwork and technical drawing. After a short time, I decided that I’d rather make things in wood than teach it.
I first made kitchen and bathroom accessories, before moving into the manufacture of larger furniture. The company grew over 26 years to employing 60 people, until the manufacture of free-standing furniture was decimated by imported Chinese furniture at prices that UK production couldn’t compete with.
After closing down the manufacturing business, I was engaged by a machinery supplier to evaluate two CAD/CAM software packages at the 2006 UK Woodworking Show, with the aim of identifying the most suitable solution for their customers.
Genio from Spaisoft stood head and shoulders above the other. Genio came complete with AutoCAD as its CAD side, a well-recognized drawing package known throughout the world..
I was then offered the opportunity to work freelance on training and providing support for Genio software for customers, without being directly employed by the company.
This is how CNC Software Solutions Ltd. was born.
From that point on, Genio began to be offered with most new machine sales, when customers did not already have CAD software.
Around the same time, X-Cab was also introduced to the UK market. In some cases, it was sold alongside CNC machines, but due to a lack of understanding by the sales team, it didn't have much initial success.
Subsequently, the production of composite doors became an increasingly important part of CNC machine sales. For this reason, SPAI was asked to develop a simplified version of the door programming software, since until then the machines had been programmed using complex Xilog parametric programs, manageable only by a few specialized technicians.
X-Door made everything easier: users could program doors via an intuitive graphical interface, based on images and editable fields. This way, customers no longer had to rely on a specialist to make changes.
In 2009, with sales declining in the UK market, I approached Mauro Freddo about the possibility of selling SPAI software directly to end users, without necessarily having to sell the machines themselves. This gave me the opportunity to develop the business independently, expanding our reach and establishing direct relationships with customers.
What kind of support did SPAI provide to CNC Software Solutions?
SPAI has always provided concrete support to CNC Software Solutions. When I encountered a problem that I couldn't solve on my own, they intervened directly, also collaborating with the customer to quickly find a solution.
The X-Door software, as far as I know, was marketed mainly in the UK, and any changes requested by customers were implemented very quickly: often they were integrated into the next update, sometimes within a few days.
What kind of customers use these solutions?
Genio CAD/CAM software is suitable for any type of CNC manufacturing. Components can be designed directly in AutoCAD, included in the package, or imported into Genio in DWG or DXF format. Once the geometry is imported, the toolpaths are defined, which can be exported individually or optimized for larger panels using the nesting module.
In the UK, Genio is used in many areas of CNC manufacturing: from furniture and joinery components, to vehicle fittings, to more specialized sectors such as the production of moulds, speaker boxes, coffins and doors.
X-Cab is used by kitchen, bedroom, and office furniture manufacturers. It allows you to create a parametric furniture library, quickly modify dimensions, and automatically generate individual components, which can then be machined directly or optimized on a panel using EasyNest or Genio.
X-Door represents a major advantage for manufacturers of flat doors, both composite and fireproof, including their frames. It allows you to modify existing features or create new ones in seconds, such as locks, openings, hinges, or grooves, starting from simple images with editable parameters.
Most users work on SCM or Morbidelli machines, but there are also customers who use other CNC brands, including Biesse, Felder, Homag, Masterwood, as well as smaller manufacturers and some budget machines from Asia.
What are the main services requested by customers?
Regarding Genio, requests primarily concern training for new users in companies already operating and support when the software doesn't behave as expected. In most cases, the problems are related to Windows updates, incorrectly imported DXF/DWG files, or, more simply, human error, the classic "chair-keyboard problem."
For X-Door, the most frequent requests concern the creation of new macros for processes or accessories not yet present in the software library.
For X-Cab, however, it is mainly about support in the creation of new furniture not included in the standard templates.
How satisfied are customers?
Customers are generally very satisfied after installation and training. In most cases, they only need brief online support during the first few weeks of using the software.
And finally, how satisfied were you with SPAI?
I have been very satisfied with both the SPAI software and the support I received.
Rod, thank you for the professionalism, trust, and commitment you have shown us over the years.
Your experience, your practical approach, and the way you supported clients have left a tangible mark, both on this journey and in the development of SPAI in the UK market.
It's been a pleasure sharing part of this journey with you. We wish you the best in your retirement and for all that lies ahead.
Thanks Rod!
The SPAI team