CT76 System Design Tool for CIRCOR Tech
Visimation QuotePix delivers custom design and bill of materials solution for process industries
CIRCOR Tech is a leading innovator and manufacturer of component systems for process industries. The CT76 Modular Substrate and Component System from CIRCOR Tech is the preferred solution for most gas and liquid sample conditioning systems. CIRCOR’s current annual revenues are approximately $750 million.
CIRCOR Tech engaged Visimation to develop software that would capture engineering decisions for use throughout a design’s lifecycle. In the past, customers began a design with a very rough paper sketch and then relied on CIRCOR Tech engineers to complete it with a CAD system through an iterative process that typically consumed up to 5 days.
Visimation’s custom Visio application reduces the complexity of the design process and empowers customers to perform many design tasks themselves. The typical turnaround time is now less than 24 hours a savings of up to 80%. The accelerated process also enables CIRCOR Tech to more easily revise and improve their customer’s designs.
Visimation’s solution based on its QuotePix methodology provides an open work environment. Users can import physical layout drawings from a CAD system into Visio, add parts to verify that they fit into the available space, finalize the designs in Visio, and export back to CAD if necessary. The system also has flexible data output options such as export to Microsoft Access and automatic bill of materials generation to Microsoft Excel.
CIRCOR Tech provides the CT76 System Design Tool to customers that purchase its products. This has become a powerful sales incentive and revenue driver. Customers recognize that using this application improves their productivity as well as the quality of the systems they purchase and deploy for their own operations. The current user base is several hundred and growing.One innovative use of CT76 System Design Tool is to print out realistic visual plans at full scale on large format paper to be used as a “blueprint†for assembling the components. The hardcopy is placed on a panel as a background and the components are laid out on top of it.
With the success of this application, CIRCOR Tech is planning Phase 2 with a series of enhancements. Further automation is expected to include the ability to scan the drawings for control points and export of configuration data to a JD Edwards order entry system for the manufacturing process. Visimation has provided similar features to other clients in the HVAC controls industry (see TAC, Carrier).
Visimation’s custom Visio based software delivers benefits to CIRCOR Tech by saving time, driving revenue, improving quality and customer service, while setting design standards for the company as well as the industry. CIRCOR Tech also views their design tool as an enabler for sharing and collaboration of best practices.