A manufacturer of biological analysis equipment configures parts online for R&D prototypes and confidently schedules production because parts arrive when the supplier says they will. Life-science company Luminex Corp., Austin, Texas, (luminex.com) says one of its knotty problems was figuring component costs for prototypes. The firm says it solved the problem by sizing parts online and then purchasing shafts and bushings, timing pulleys, and belts from Misumi USA, Shaumburg, Ill. (misumiusa.com)

“I can order custom components that are ready for assembly and get solid models of parts for assembly drawings,” says Luminex Director of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Roland Schneider. “The supplier makes it easy with a wide range of products in inch and metric standards. What's more, guidelines in the Technical Calculation Section of the online catalog help specify, for example, the correct flat belt for configurable timing pulleys, also available from Misumi. And timing pulleys are configurable down to the number of teeth,” says Schneider.

“The availability of CAD models lets us do several design iterations before buying parts. This reduces the number of parts that never find their way into the finished machine.” Prices and volume discounts are in the catalog, so traditional quotes are not needed.