VirtualCAD and LEDAS have successfully delivered an on-line parametric Product Configurator to Rocom Corporation, the world’s leading supplier of flexible shaft couplings to the motion control industry.
The on-line Product Configurator is based on the VirtualCAD Parametric CAD Server (PCS) technology, which can easily be configured for any part supplier web site. Interface design is separate and customized to match the typical selection steps, based on product line characteristics. Design and Engineering ’rules’ are embedded into the template CAD files, which are connected to a MySQL database. This makes the addition or removal of parts a simple matter of data entry, but ensures the part design meets feasibility requirements, and all part numbers displayed are valid.
The Product Configurator for Rocom Corporation also provides customers with web access to 2D/3D CAD files in several different CAD file formats, including Parasolid, and a detailed PDF «Sales Drawing», for approximately 25,000 different part numbers.
The VirtualCAD PCS is particularly appropriate to part manufacturers with product lines that contain large sets of part numbers. These can be part families of ’standard’ parts such as fasteners, or ’highly configurable’ parts, such as hydraulic cylinders. However, Designers and Engineers often need CAD files of parts displayed in different ’design’ positions. For example, a spring at a specific level of deflection, or a cylinder with the rod at an exact point in the stroke. This is easily accomplished with the PCS, providing superior customer design support. A strong sales advantage is also provided, because the manufacturer name, logo, and part number are ‘engraved’ on the CAD model. Following its extensive background in parametric technology, a team of experienced engineers from LEDAS created the detailed and ’intelligent’ template CAD files, using the simple 2D drawings and non-proprietary dimensional data. LEDAS also designed and developed the database driven Product Configurator web interface. In the past, such information has typically required vast amounts of data to be published in paper catalogs for customers to decipher. The Rocom Product Configurator web-interface was implemented using the ActiveWidgets GRID, connected to a MySQL Database containing almost 1 million dimensions and mechanical properties. The GRID widget enables the interface to present a very small subset of part numbers, with only 4 clicks. The purpose is to provide data for final user selection and to send requests to the VirtualCAD PCS. During more than a year of collaboration, VirtualCAD and LEDAS engineers have implemented multiple ’Product Configurator’ solutions comprising many product lines, for manufacturers, Designers and Engineers users all over the world.
About VirtualCAD:
VirtualCAD is a privately held corporation established in 1992. It provides Parametric CAD Server technology to easily add 2D/3D CAD files and 2D PDF Sales Drawings to web sites for Mechanical Component part manufacturers and suppliers. For more information visit www.VirtualCAD.com.
About Rocom Corporation:
Rocom Corporation strives to be the worlds leading supplier of flexible shaft couplings to the motion control industry. They are achieving this by continuing to supply their exclusive, proprietary, and patented flexible shaft couplings as well as improved alternatives to existing flexible shaft couplings by introducing creative cost saving manufacturing techniques and cutting edge materials. For more information visit www.RocomCorp.com.
About LEDAS
LEDAS Ltd. is an independent software development company founded in 1999; it is based in Novosibirsk Scientific Centre (Akademgorodok), Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science. A leader in constraint-based technologies, LEDAS is a well-known provider of computational software components for PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions: geometric constraint solvers for CAD/CAM/CAE, optimization engines for Project Management, Work Scheduling and Meeting Planning as well as interval technologies for Knowledge-Based Engineering and Collaborative Design. The company also provides services for PLM market: software development, consulting, reselling as well as education and training.
More information about LEDAS is available at www.ledas.com.
Contact
LEDAS Sales and Marketing Department
Phone: +7 383 3356 504
fax: +7 383 3356 256
email: info@ledas.com
LGS is a trademark of LEDAS Ltd.
Other trademarks belong to their respective holders