Specialist centrifugal pumps manufacturer Amarinth has launched an on-line service giving direct access to 3D CAD models of its products to enable better understanding and collaborative working. The company is a Solidworks CAD user and is using Solidworks eDrawings viewing technology to enable complete access via web browser, without recipients needing the software itself.
Users see detailed models of the full assembly, which can be rotated, zoomed, measured, sectioned etc, with components hidden for inspection – and all the usual eDrawings facilities.
Amarinth managing director Oliver Brigginshaw makes the point that when an organisation is specifying pumps, designing new plant or developing maintenance schedules, numerous people need to be involved, many of whom don't have direct access to engineering models or drawings.
"In many cases it can be extremely difficult for these people to understand the various components within a pump and how they all fit together and so can prove frustrating for them when trying to have a meaningful conversation with engineers or pump suppliers," he says.
Brigginshaw believes the new service is a first for the industry and suggests it will help with communication and understanding, making purchasing smoother.
"We have taken this initiative to openly provide detailed 3D CAD models of our pumps as we have seen so many issues within organisations, particularly as engineers and non-engineers try to communicate about aspects of pump design, maintenance and procurement," says Brigginshaw.
And he adds: "Although many pump suppliers would be extremely cautious about releasing this level of detail into the public domain we believe that the benefits this will deliver, both for organisations using our pumps and in communications between Amarinth and our customers, far outweigh any perceived risk."
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