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Pneumatic products, CAD and help online

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 29, 2002

Norgren has extensively updated the catalogue, technical help and 3D CAD facilities on its pioneering website.

Norgren has extensively updated the catalogue, technical help and 3D CAD facilities on its pioneering website.

The new updates have been designed to give visitors online access to a greater number of products and services, with all of the processes now fully integrated.

This means that the user can switch between the catalogue, CAD and technical support areas at any point, ensuring they have all the information they need whether they are designing a system, checking on price or delivery or placing an order online.

"The only way of making sure that you have a website that serves the purposes of your customers is to ask them and this is exactly what we did", says Mark Stevens, marketing director responsible for e-commerce at Norgren.

"The integration and updates in all areas come from direct feedback that we have sought from the thousands of engineers that use the site each week".

The specific key benefit of the updated catalogue is the ability to be able to search for a product by part number.

Visitors need only enter the full or partial reference of the part they require and they will then be given up-to-the-second information on price and delivery before they decide whether to place the order online.

The number of products available from the online catalogue has now also been substantially increased.

In addition to 8500 individual items from right across Norgren's core actuator, valve, air preparation and fittings ranges, there are over 1100 base models from which the user can configure the specific options they want - for example cylinder diameter, stroke, cushioning, piston rod type, mountings and switches.

The catalogue area of the site, which already attracts over 1000 visits a week and has seen a massive growth in usage by customers since it was launched in 2000, has also been given a fresher, newer look.

With many engineers under increasing time pressure, Norgren has extended its online 3D CAD facility to save them time by providing instant online drawings, downloadable direct into the user's CAD system.

The CAD tools can be accessed by visitors from any area of the site without the need to shut down other applications they may be using, thanks to the site's new integrated construction.

The user can either select from the catalogue and link directly to the CAD drawing for that item, or take a fast track through the CAD selector, if they already know what they need.

Users can benefit from full functionality within the online viewer, including the ability to zoom in on and manipulate CAD images before downloading drawings in 13 different file formats using vector-based parametric technology.

Should visitors to the website require further information on a specific product they have selected, or general advice, they now have access to even further enhanced online technical support.

The biggest update to this section of the site is the frequently asked question area which now includes over 300 of the most regularly made technical enquiries.

This complements Norgren's global online chat facility, which allows users of the website to talk in real time to a Norgren engineer at any point of the day or night.

The chat facility is a service unique to the company.

Stevens continues: "Our integrated approach to technical support - allowing users to move quickly and seamlessly from the catalogue to the FAQ area, to online technical support and, if necessary, contact us via email - is one of the reasons our website is so popular.

"By talking to our customers and using innovative technology to provide the services they need in a simple and easy to use format, we are saving them time and money and ultimately making their jobs easier".