Modern technology has advanced exponentially in recent years, ranging anywhere from tens to thousands of parts. However, even things like springs, motors, nozzles, valves, and switches each have numerous renditions ranging from dissimilar to nearly identical. This can easily complicate the task of selecting the right part for the right machine. Selecting the correct method of part selection can easily streamline both the time and cost of doing repairs. So what are the options for designer engineers?

Design Your Own vs Existing Parts

The most straightforward option is to design your own part. By redrawing the part made by supplier manufacturers, it comes in the preferred format and perfectly fits the need, However, it is incredibly inefficient and resource-intensive. The redrawing of the part is time-consuming for both turnarounds and necessary revisions. In addition, the user-generated aspect can lead to poor accuracy for the parts due to human error.

An alternative is to request data from the manufacturer themselves on a part. It eliminates human error and ensures accuracy. The downside is that it severely limits the selection of brands and formats available and slows down turnaround time. In recent years, the internet has mitigated some of the drawbacks. By using ‘download on-demand’ you have a quick revision time with a wide selection of formats, enabling a fast turnaround. Additionally, these formats are accurate and constantly maintained and updated, because they come straight from the manufacturer.

One more alternative is ‘crowd funded parts’ or using user-generated resources. While this offers the widest selection possible, this content is generic, difficult to find and purchase, and not certified by manufacturer engineers. Because it is not standardized, it is often incompatible with many manufacturer supplier devices and machines.

Component Search Engine

The newest innovation is a component search engine. Search engines like 3DFindIt have a variety of methods to search for parts. When you want to search for precise results, you can use part numbers, keywords, and manufacturers to find particular parts that you already know of. However, for personal projects, specific parts aren’t the best way to search. If you are more interested in discovering new parts for a job, you can search via sketches, photos, colors, and geometric comparisons.

Additionally, search engines have profound advantages in both discovering and researching parts. 45% of design engineers spent over an hour of a day for component details when not utilizing a search engine. Additionally, this search engine contains hundreds of formats from over 6,000 manufacturers as well as trillions of manufacturer-certified products. The culmination of this wealth of information can be seen across the board.  There’s a 50% reduction in the part discovery process, 70% reduction in product development and construction costs, and around 625 hours and $70,000 saved in salary annually.

Conclusion

Whether you want to get ahead for your company or to help optimize repairing your own projects, taking advantage of a component search engine can help save you time. Whether it be fixing your coffee machines or to help your team with car repairs, using 3DFindIt will make sure you’re always on time with your repairs.