Samtec and CADENAS Join Forces on New Interactive Catalog of 3D CAD Models

Samtec, Inc., a privately held $625 million global manufacturer of a broad range of electronic interconnect solutions, recently launched an advanced interactive catalog of 3D CAD models built by CADENAS. The new, easy-to-use online tool enables engineers to dynamically configure, preview and download over 1 trillion Samtec product models in the native CAD format of their choice. Once configured, components can be purchased in just a few clicks. This digital capability adds speed, accuracy and flexibility in the design process for engineers specifying Samtec components. This new capability and increased website functionality enable roughly 1000 downloads a day.

Samtec’s Sudden Service® capabilities promote supporting their global customers with the tools, products and services to ease the connector design process. This dedication to customer service sets Samtec apart from their competitors. “We built a reputation as an industry leader by providing mechanical product samples within 24 hours or less,” says Daniel Williams, Business Analyst at Samtec, Inc.

The design process has become more complex and entered the digital realm. Digital product samples have become just as important as mechanical product samples. Samtec began a digital transformation more than 15 years ago by creating a unique library of 3D CAD models in-house. The models were built per customer request and posted online for downloading.

“Over time that approach proved limited,” says Mr. Williams. “The models were static and instantly outdated. We could only support a few standard formats. Additionally, our storage costs were rising and our response times slowed as the number of models requests increased. We needed a different solution.”

The customer experience – both digitally and via customer service – and remains paramount to Samtec’s success. They did not rest on past success when looking for areas to improve their customer service and digital outreach.

Samtec initially approached CADENAS to overhaul their static catalog of 3D CAD models to replace the need for physical samples. Working together, Samtec and CADENAS expanded the scope and scale of the project, creating a tailored solution which can grow and evolve with their business.

“CADENAS replaced our entire 3D CAD model catalog in 9 months, and now the CAD models are dynamically generated in real-time on their servers and instantly available in 150 current formats,” says Mr. Williams. “We are known for our 24 hour sample model, but we are now accelerating that by providing digital samples within 24 seconds.”

“For Samtec, 3D model accuracy and reduced download times were essential. CADENAS brought those capabilities to the table,” adds Williams. “The opportunity to integrate with a world class platform and collaborate with their technical support team proved indispensable. They exceeded our expectations to create the exact solution we needed. Their implementation team responded quickly and professionally as the project progressed.”

This new capability and increased website functionality enable roughly 1000 downloads a day.

Samtec’s interactive catalog of 3D CAD models is built upon CADENAS eCATALOGsolutions platform, which leads the industry with more than 700 active clients.

“Samtec has truly embraced our digital catalog technology while promoting it extremely well to their electronic engineering user base. Their download performance is the proof,” says Jay Hopper, VP of Sales and Marketing at CADENAS PARTsolutions, LLC. “Every 96 seconds an engineer downloads a Samtec product model into one of their designs. That’s around 26,000 downloads per month. That’s a marketing tool that performs.”