September 26, 2003

By: Mark Harris
Website: http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com

Global manufacturer allows customers to view models and drawings to ensure bearings, gearing products, belt drives, and couplings fit into product

Emerson Power Transmission is using SolidWorks 3D PartStream.NET to expand the functionality of its Web site, www.emerson-ept.com, and to grow sales of its belt drives and gear products used in conveyors and processing machinery. 3D PartStream.NET allows customers to access EPT’s Web-based catalog and download three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) models of EPT products such as bearings and gearing products. Customers can instantly incorporate those models into their own product designs to check compatibility. Doing so lets customers reduce product design costs and encourages them to buy EPT products, increasing EPT’s revenues and giving it a competitive advantage.

EPT, a subsidiary of $15.5 billion Emerson Company, is a leading provider of bearings, gearing products, couplings, and power transmission components for industrial equipment manufacturers and users. The company has facilities across North America and in Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, and Belgium. Its customer base spans a variety of industries including material handling; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); food and beverage; aerospace; and construction equipment. 3D PartStream.NET lets EPT’s customers download solid models directly into their product designs, saving costs associated with creating a 3D model or 2D drawing from scratch based on information in paper-based catalogs.

"When customers download a 3D model or 2D drawing from our Web site, they are ‘designing in’ our products," said Jim Porter, vice president of engineering for EPT. "This, along with our product selection modules, makes it more likely that our customers will select and use our products. We have more than 1,000 downloads a month from our 3D-powered catalog."

Kathy McElligott, vice president information technology for EPT, said, "We selected 3D PartStream.NET because of its robust functionality and the ability to leverage our existing eCatalog. We had a very aggressive timeline for implementation and the SolidWorks team, along with their integration partner, Spry Technology, helped us drive a successful on-time implementation."

Spry Technology, an e-commerce solutions provider and 3D PartStream.NET partner, CAD-enabled EPT’s existing online catalog by integrating it with 3D PartStream.NET. Now, a customer looking for a bearing with specific dimensions can use EPT’s catalog navigation techniques and search tools to quickly find and download the 3D model of the exact bearing that will fit into the product design. These capabilities allow EPT’s customers to design their products and bring them to market more quickly than they could using paper-based catalogs. 3D PartStream.NET lets customers download EPT product models in the CAD format of their choice. This flexibility increases the productivity of EPT’s customers and employees by streamlining the entire communication process and eliminating the need to send CAD models via email.

"Companies in need of mechanical power transmission components often turn to Emerson Power Transmission’s brand name products like Browning®, Kop-Flex®, Sealmaster®, and McGill®," said Jim Giebutowski, director of content publishing at SolidWorks Corporation. "3D PartStream.NET has set a standard for providing 3D-powered catalog viewing and downloading capabilities that offer time-saving innovations and help customers easily visualize components. Emerson Power Transmission uses 3D PartStream.NET to target the exact needs of their customers while establishing a competitive advantage in the power transmission component supplier markets."

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com.  Keep things running smoothly with ball bearings, roller bearings, ball thrust bearings and tapered bearings.