New Feature Release: CAD Approximation For Flat Parts
Up until now, online manufacturing platforms had a difficult time serving customers without 3D models. Customers that only have an Engineering Drawing present difficulties for manufacturing platforms, because the information contained in PDF files is inaccessible for easy extraction. Before Werk24, manufacturing platforms had two options: They either process the RFQ manually—effectively losing their cost and speed advantage over traditional trading companies—or decline the quote entirely, missing out on an opportunity for new business.
CAD Approximation for Flat Parts
Werk24’s new feature, “CAD Approximation for Flat Parts,” offers an efficient solution to this problem, allowing clients to offer instant pricing when a PDF-based RFQ is submitted. Two CAD Approximation options are available to aid manufacturers in extracting data for pricing:
Option 1: The Outer Contour (for sophisticated nesting for their pricing engine)
When higher volumes make it important to consider material waste, our outer-contour approximation allows rough-nesting.
Option 2: The Bounding Box (for easy pricing calculations)
For fast price calculations, it is often sufficient to use the bounding box information.
Werk24: A Pioneer in Data Extraction
This exclusive new feature is made possible by Werk24 solving two crucial issues that have been unachievable in the past when extracting data from 2D Drawing-based RFQs:
Distinguishing geometric lines (e.g., the outer contour) from the often-prevalent measuring and indication lines that lie within Technical Drawings
Recognising when measures within Engineering Drawings may need to be added or subtracted to calculate total height or width. This requires a sophisticated understanding of extracted measures and their physical relationships
Application
Whichever option to use from the TechRead API will depend on the customer’s requirements and technological setup. For either choice, it is entirely a preference based on the specific needs of the client.
As manufacturers embrace technology in their RFQ processes, a prime motive for extending their business will be ensuring all potential customers’ RFQs are processed in a fast and cost-efficient manner. To this end, Werk24 provides the new “CAD Approximation for Flat Parts” feature, which offers our customers the ability to capture new business by accurately offering their best price—without the cost and lost time of past methods.