3D Workstation Visualization & Engineering Configurator
Bridging sales configuration and SolidWorks engineering with a rule-driven 3D platform for customizable workstations.
Workflow Type
Product Configurator
Primary Users
Sales & Engineering Teams
Primary Outputs
3D previews, BOMs, SolidWorks models
Deployment
Secure web-based system
The Problem
The manufacturer relied on a manual process to design and document custom workstations. Sales teams struggled to quickly visualize configurations, while engineering teams had to recreate designs in CAD—causing delays, errors, and duplicated effort.
Constraints & Challenges
- Experience: Providing an intuitive 3D configuration experience for non-engineering users.
- Rules: Enforcing design rules related to size, load, and compatibility.
- Validation: Preventing invalid or overlapping accessory placements.
- Accuracy: Generating production-ready engineering outputs from sales configurations.
- Security: Integrating securely with existing enterprise authentication systems.
Our Approach
FDES designed a full-stack engineering platform connecting web-based configuration with SolidWorks automation.
- Secure login using Microsoft Azure Active Directory with role-based access.
- Step-by-step web configurator for selecting profiles, dimensions, and accessories.
- Real-time validation of fitment and design rules.
- Visual feedback for valid and invalid accessory placements.
- Seamless handoff from sales configurations to engineering workflows.
What Was Automated
SolidWorks Integration
FDES also developed a custom SolidWorks plugin for the engineering team.
- Fetch proposal data created in the web configurator.
- Open and review configured workstation designs.
- Automatically generate 3D CAD models, 2D drawings, and BOMs.
- Eliminate manual re-modeling of sales configurations.
Impact
Reduced configuration turnaround from 2-3 days to under 30 minutes per workstation variant.
Eliminated 100% of manual CAD recreation — SolidWorks models generated directly from configurator selections.
Zero invalid configurations reaching production — engineering rules enforce feasibility at point of sale.
3x increase in order volume handled without adding engineering headcount.
Before vs After
Related Use Cases
Screw Conveyor Product Configurator
Web-based configurator reduced quoting from 4–6 hours to under 10 minutes.
Commercial Kitchen Drawing Variants
Variant drawing automation cut delivery from 3–5 days to under 4 hours.
Steel Profile Tool Mapping
Automated tool mapping from 45 minutes per profile to under 5 minutes.