Timken Syndicates Thousands of 3-D CAD Models and 2-D Product Drawings to BDI for online customers
CANTON, Ohio — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 16, 2013 — The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) today announced a system that enables Timken authorized distributors to seamlessly link their websites to 3-D CAD models and 2-D drawings of thousands of Timken products at cad.timken.com. The system offers customers access to technical information from Timken and its distributors more easily and efficiently. Timken worked closely with the Thomas Enterprise Solutions Group in the development of the system and piloted it with BDI, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
Using technology developed by Thomas Enterprise Solutions—part of Thomas Industrial Network, Inc.—Timken provided direct access to its engineering drawings for BDI’s online customers in the required format. Customers visiting BDI’s e-commerce site ( www.bdiexpress.com) can research and select products, compare prices and complete purchases.
“For BDI, this new process is a home run,” said Bill Shepard, vice president for the Midwest region and marketing at BDI. “Previously, we collected data from print catalogs and Excel spreadsheets. Whenever Timken sent us an updated product file, it required a manual review – the whole process often took months to re-synch the data. This new Timken solution provides quick, seamless updates, making us more responsive to our customers.”
“Timken engineers worked closely with Thomas’ Enterprise Solutions team to centralize information about our products, including detailed technical specifications, and to build a library (cad.timken.com) of 3-D CAD models and 2-D drawings,” said Christopher Henson, director of U.S. industrial sales for Timken.
He said that these images can be downloaded quickly in multiple formats by current and potential Timken customers and participating distributors. The system allows engineers to download CAD models to insert into their own designs to ensure an exact fit and make purchasing decisions with more confidence.
“Thomas’ new syndication services make it possible for manufacturers like Timken to normalize their data and make it readily available to any of their distribution channels in the required format,” said Michael Sprague, director of Thomas’ Enterprise Solutions Group.
A complete suite of Timken® bearings and power transmission solutions, including all 3-D CAD models and 2-D drawings, is available at www.timken.com.
About BDI
With 182 global branch operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia, BDI ( www.bdiworldwide.com) services manufacturing companies throughout the world. BDI is a leader in the distribution and application of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical power transmission, linear motion, fluid power, material handling, and industrial and safety products. Value-added services offered by BDI include inventory and supply chain optimization, advanced technical support, documented cost savings and end-user training.
About Thomas Enterprise Solutions
Thomas Enterprise Solutions is part of Thomas Industrial Network, Inc., an information and technology company that connects manufacturing and industrial buyers and sellers. The Enterprise Solutions Group works closely with manufacturers and distributors to effectively manage digital product data across a variety of enterprise-wide systems and sales channels to meet strategic business needs. Leveraging its Navigator Platform technology, Thomas’ services include webCAD publishing and product configurator technology. Thomas helps syndicate manufacturers’ data and CAD drawings directly to their large distributors and OEM channel partners, as well as integrate content into design and sourcing platforms that are part of an organization’s daily workflow.
About The Timken Company
The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com), a global industrial technology leader, applies its deep knowledge of materials, friction management and power transmission to improve the reliability and efficiency of industrial machinery and equipment all around the world. The company engineers, manufactures and markets mechanical components and high-performance steel. Timken® bearings, engineered steel bars and tubes—as well as transmissions, gearboxes, chain, related products and services—support diversified markets worldwide. With sales of $5.0 billion in 2012 and approximately 20,000 people operating from 30 countries, Timken makes the world more productive and keeps industry in motion.
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