Send to a friend
Printer friendly version

SolidWorks adds GlobalSpec link to user interface

SolidWorks 2005 Service Pack 3 includes the GlobalSpec engineering search engine as part of the Resource Task Pane.

You can spend days hunting for the perfect part for your design. And although the Internet is helpful, it can also be overwhelming. Do a search for “torsion springs” on Google, and hours later you may find what you’re looking for buried among hundreds of pages of unrelated results.

A better way to quickly zero in on the part you need is with GlobalSpec® (www.globalspec.com), a specialized engineering search engine that lets you look for parts by simply specifying their design attributes. More than 1.8 million users are currently registered to use this engineering-indexed service, which is free to engineers.

The GlobalSpec database of online catalogs includes over 78 million parts in more than 1.2 million mechanical, electrical, and optical engineering product areas. What’s more, with SpecSearch® — the GlobalSpec search engine — you can quickly search by specification to find and compare parts, products, and services. When your search comes up, GlobalSpec also lets you know if a 2D or a 3D CAD model of the part is available for download on the manufacturer’s site, adding even more value to your design efforts.

GlobalSpec allows engineers to search for products based on technical specifications.

Plus, SolidWorks® users will now have access to GlobalSpec engineering search tools directly from the SolidWorks Resource Task Pane. So, the next time you need a bearing or a belt for your conveyor assembly, you can key in the search as you work, without ever leaving SolidWorks. This functionality is available in Service Pack 3 of SolidWorks 2005.

How it works
Let’s say you are designing a boat motor and need a copper gasket that protects against RFI interference. While a Google search for “copper gasket” may give you 7,000 hits, a GlobalSpec search will return the names of 431 suppliers. You can quickly narrow that down to eight suppliers by specifying the gasket type, material properties, and other specifications. From there, you can access the supplier’s online catalogs, download CAD models (if they are available), and even send the supplier an electronic Request for Quote form.

Once a user identifies a supplier, the Request for Quote form is used to initiate contact.

Not long ago, Emily Shu — a staff engineer involved in the research of advanced processing technologies at semiconductor maker Intel Corporation — needed to find a miniature strain gauge to measure glass membrane deformation in the lithography process. The part needed to be small enough to fit in a hard pellicle without introducing more stress. She knew the part would not be available in paper catalogs, which typically become outdated very quickly. A colleague pointed her to GlobalSpec. “That’s how I found a company in Southern California that makes these special foil gauges,” says Shu. “It turned out to be a unique supplier.”

GlobalSpec includes several additional engineering resources.

GlobalSpec also steered Shu to suppliers of supporting parts, such as electric amplifiers and power conditioning devices. “GlobalSpec gives you a lot of relevant information, which makes it easy to get the job done,” Shu says.

Additional resources

GlobalSpec resources include more than 12,500 links to online supplier catalogs. James Adams — a design engineer and operations manager for Panafab, Inc., a company that makes automated machinery — relies on GlobalSpec for a wealth of ad-hoc technical information. He uses GlobalSpec not just to find parts, but also to locate suppliers by part number, look up information on patents and standards, and research products. Recently, GlobalSpec even added links to engineering job postings.

“In the past, I used to go to three or four different sites to get all the information I needed,” says Adams. “Now, GlobalSpec is the only place I need to go.”