Creativity in CAD: Free software supports leather venture

Bernhard Kreuzer is a leather goods designer, applying his mechanical engineering skills to turn a hobby into a new business venture – supported by M4 PERSONAL and the eSERVICES portal for commercial users.

Cambridge, UK and Pittsford, NY – October 2013: Bernard Kreuzer, former army captain and leather goods designer, studied mechanical engineering. He discovered CAD Schroer’s free mechanical design software, M4 PERSONAL, about two years ago. Today he uses it to design unique leather goods, with patents pending. Custom leather by Bernhard Kreuzer

When Bernhard Kreuzer attended a M4 training course, supported by a government skills scheme, he was keen to share his story with CAD Schroer staff. A mechanical engineer by trade, he started using M4 PERSONAL to design high quality, made-to-measure leather goods, including belts, handbags, custom sheaths for knives, mobile phone cases, and archery accessories. Initially sales came through word of mouth, but as orders increased, he needed to create more accurate designs to waste less material and work more efficiently.

Combining Engineering, Creativity and CAD

“It all started when I couldn’t find a decent sheath for a specialty knife I made. So I ended up making one out of leather,” he explains. “I started reading about leathercraft, learning as I went. The hobby developed into a small sideline. I wanted to approach the design from an engineer’s perspective, and use CAD to perfect my ideas. I prefer Linux, so when I found out about M4 PERSONAL on Wikipedia, I gave it a go. I’m really pleased about the opportunities the free CAD software affords me to improve my business without big costs.”

M4 PERSONAL is free for individuals and businesses. A pay-per-use eSERVICES portal converts any final drawings for unlimited commercial use.

Intelligent Tools for Custom Products

Bernhard Kreuzer uses M4 PERSONAL’s intelligent 2D drafting tools to design the separate pieces. Printed custom drawings serve as templates for cutting the leather. He then uses a unique hand stitching method to create the final piece, often embossing the leather with special designs or initials. The resulting items are beautiful and much more hard-wearing than those produced conventionally by machine. Bernhard Kreuzer also uses M4 PERSONAL for designs in wood and metal, and the software is helping to document an invention, for which he is currently seeking a patent, hoping this will pave the road to independence.

Sharing a Love of Leathercraft and CAD

Bernhard Kreuzer is keen to share his enthusiasm for leather design and M4 PERSONAL with anyone who is interested, and regularly conducts basic leather design workshops in Austria. Applying mechanical design principles to the design of custom goods has helped Bernhard Kreuzer to develop a niche offering, turning a hobby into business with the help of CAD Schroer’s M4 PERSONAL freeware.

“The new version of the free CAD software M4 PERSONAL is now available for download.“