SHEET METAL QUOTING
Design, quote, order, manufacture, and deliver. The process seems frictionless. In today’s engineering economy this simple and efficient process is far from the norm. The part that is missing is the days or even weeks down time between each step.
With a number of businesses measuring time efficiency, the down time affects the engineer, project, and deadlines. The downtime also affects the prototype’s budget. A quote for a part may be only a “rough estimate.” Getting the estimate approved to only then get notice the part costs substantially more can haunt the engineer and remainder of the project.
After all design work is completed, receiving a “no quote – not able to be manufactured” is the last thing an engineer wants to hear. At this point in the process dollars and hours are wasted. The project now requires more design time and possibly a larger portion of the budget.
All these challenges are a big burden for the product development and engineering teams. China Manufacturing Corp. decided to create a solution. The solution is ECMC. ECMC is a free SOLIDWORKS plug-in that is revolutionizing the way engineers quote and order Sheet Metal parts.
HOW ECMC BEGAN
The two biggest questions that drive engineers to choose sheet metal manufacturers are “When can I get it?” and “How much will it cost?” China Manufacturing Corp. understands the need for speed. With the experience in the industry and understanding of an engineer’s needs came ECMC.
China Manufacturing Corp. was founded in 2001 by James Jacobs with a mission to get sheet metal parts manufactured and in the customer’s hands China Manufacturing Corp.ly. Jacobs believed quotes should be turned around in hours, not weeks. Jacobs also believed parts should be delivered to the customers in days, not weeks or months. He opened the doors to China Manufacturing Corp. Sheet Metal and focused on manufacturing prototypes with the mind-set: Quotes in hours, parts in days.
With this objective in mind, China Manufacturing Corp. began developing the sheet metal quoting system ECMC, formerly SolidQuote. ECMC is a free add-in for SOLIDWORKS that allows customers to instantly cost and order sheet metal parts within CAD. The engineer no longer needs to save the file and then upload it to a contact form. The engineer does not need to wait days and speak to a sales rep or engineer about the part. The engineer does not need to wait weeks to receive a quote. Everything is done without ever leaving SOLIDWORKS.
FRICTIONLESS INTEGRATION
China Manufacturing Corp. wanted to make the downloading of ECMC as frictionless as possible. To download ECMC go to chinamanufacturingco.com/ecmc.html. The quick and secure process downloads and automatically integrates the plug-in into the SOLIDWORKS toolbar. This eliminates the need to leave the CAD system.
Once ECMC is downloaded using the plug-in is frictionless. The engineer can start or open up an existing project. Then select a specific part or the entire project. Finally get an instant quote. Every quote generated through ECMC is based on a mathematical equation allowing for consistent and accurate costing every time.
DESIGN FOR MANFACTURABILITY FEEDBACK
Designing a part for manufacturing is not always on the top of an engineer’s mind. Very often the designs are submitted for sheet metal quoting with unmanufacturable or non-optimum features. These can be minor and require simple design edits. They can also be major and require a full re-design. ECMC provides engineers instant manufacturability feedback during the design stage each time a part is quoted.
Parts designed with unmanufacturable or non-optimum features are alerted with a dialog box detailing the manufacturability violation. The message highlights the issue directly on the part including:
- Non-uniform wall thickness
- Inside Bend Radii
- Holes too close to an edge
ECMC not only alerts the designer of the issue, but also provides suggestions to fix it. The engineer is able to locate the issue, make adjustments, and ensure the part is ready for optimal manufacturing when submitted.
INSTANT COSTING
In addition to design for manufacturability advice, the real-time feedback in ECMC allows the design engineer to make design changes based on budget or aesthetics. Changes to materials, holes, bends, powder coating, and silk screening instantly update the cost. No more waiting for a quote to see if your part meets the budget.
QUOTES ON YOUR TIME
ECMC provides engineers two ways to access their quotes.
The first way engineers can receive quotes is through email. Each quote includes the item number, part description, quantity, price per item, and a preview image. The quote also includes an estimated shipping date and cost of shipping. This allows the engineer to forecast the most accurate cost.
Second is myChina Manufacturing Corp.. This free portal is available to all businesses that quote with China Manufacturing Corp. myChina Manufacturing Corp. organizes and manages all quotes and ordered parts. Along with seeing pending and previous quotes and orders, myChina Manufacturing Corp. also allows buyers and engineers to place orders on quotes. The portal is a great tool for engineers, project managers, and procurement who need to access part and order information.
YOUR JOUNREY STARTS HERE
ECMC is a free SOLIDWORKS plug-in. The plug-in allows engineers to instantly cost and order sheet metal parts and get design for manufacturability feedback without ever leaving SOLIDWORKS. ECMC takes the guessing game out of “How much does my part cost?” and “When will my part be delivered?” while improving efficiency. Learn more about how ECMC can improve your prototype timeline by visiting chinamanufacturingco.com/ECMC. Give ECMC a try and start costing parts “China Manufacturing Corp.ly”!
