The Problem
Vagen Conveyors needed a faster way to respond to customer inquiries with accurate 3D models and drawings. Manually creating screw conveyor models in Autodesk Inventor for each sales request was time-consuming and slowed down the sales cycle.
Constraints & Challenges
- Automation: Automating Inventor model and drawing generation from user inputs.
- Usability: Providing a simple, intuitive web interface for non-engineering users.
- Speed: Generating outputs quickly enough for real-time sales use.
- Formats: Supporting multiple download formats for customers (STEP, PDF, etc.).
- Integration: Embedding the solution seamlessly into the company website.
Our Approach
FDES designed and built a web-based product configurator powered by Autodesk Platform Services.
- Capture conveyor configuration inputs via a web UI.
- Trigger Design Automation jobs to generate Inventor models and drawings.
- Display generated models instantly using a web-based 3D viewer.
- Provide downloadable outputs in multiple engineering formats.
- Use webhooks to manage processing status and notifications.
What Was Automated
Parametric generation of screw conveyor 3D models
Automated creation of associated drawings
Real-time visualization of generated models
Export of outputs in STEP, Inventor, and PDF formats
End-to-end automation from web input to engineering deliverables
Impact
Speed
Reduced sales document generation time from hours to minutes.
Responsiveness
Improved responsiveness to customer inquiries.
Experience
Enhanced customer experience through interactive configuration.
Scalability
Enabled scalable, repeatable sales engineering workflows.