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December, 2007 |
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About OnSite WebReviews® |
Our mission is to help make your job easier, with constructive evaluations and ratings about industrial and manufacturing-related
websites presenting the best places to find Internet-based content and tools. We also hope that through our objective* reviews
suppliers will respond over time to appropriately enhance their sites to better meet your informational needs.
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*Expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings,
prejudices, or interpretation (Webster). There is no connection between site selection, site ratings,
and a company's advertising status in any Thomas Publishing Company LLC product.
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| Pinnacle Engineering
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Conveyors, carriers, and support system design
OVERALL RATING:
This site explains Pinnacle Engineering Inc.'s On-Demand Engineering Service, provided throughout North America to industrial and business facilities, general contractors, builders, and architects. Information details support given by degreed engineers and technicians at all levels in seven specialty areas: Conveyor Design and Detailing, Carrier Design, structural steel design and detailing, design of special industrial equipment, and field technical support for material handling, assembly, and other complex systems. Additionally supplied information outlines Pinnacle’s credentials in FEA as a mechanical engineering tool used proactively for design as well as stress analysis and diagnostics.
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| Advanced Machine & Engineering Co.
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Fixturing, spindles, saws, press safety
OVERALL RATING:
When its time to look for these types of products, advance to this website. This easily navigable and serviceable destination contains 2D and 3D models of more than 2,500 individual parts, available in generic format or in 15 CAD software-specific formats that can be previewed and then downloaded as .stp, .igs, .dxf and .prt files. Browse by graphically oriented product type, or browse by application, where you’ll find a wide variety of application stories covering 9 separate industries. A rich PDF library includes catalogs, brochures, and datasheets. Contact names, numbers, and email addresses are supplied for each product line and/or region served, and a generic mailto covers all requests.
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Look/Feel
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Ease of Use/Navigation
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General_Information |
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Registration
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Technical Content
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Support/Convenience
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Engineering Content
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Downloads/Knowledge |
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Market Data
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Acquisition Tools |
View Company Profile at ThomasNet.com
www.ame.com
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Review Date: December 2007 |
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| Red Valve Company Inc
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Valves, expansion joints, pressure sensors, sleeves
OVERALL RATING:
With notice of having a redesigned website, it was time to see if the updates were worth it. Most definitely, as the site is clearly sectioned and easily navigable. A very good level of content is presented, including complete descriptions, application data, case studies, spec and cut sheets, and "in use" photos. The condensed catalog is available as a download. Industries Served gives an overview of products appropriate for that industry but cross-reference Special Projects to get articles and photos regarding each industry. Convenience features are impressive. Contacting the company is made easy with a good rep locator and a form that includes an option to request more product information.
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| New York Blower Company
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In-line, utility, industrial, and process blowers
OVERALL RATING:
I’m in a New York State of mind, about blowers, that is. There is no hot air blowing here—this is the real deal. Sharply designed and easy to navigate, it is an air movement engineer’s dream. The tightly organized home page clearly outlines what lies underneath: plenty of product data, easily accessible downloads, datasheets, drawings, and maintenance manuals. Settle in and browse by industry and application to help with product selections, or download the free selection software—no registration required. The company's put a lot of effort into their applications/products-by-industry listings. Interested? Beyond the ever-present 800 number, finding a local rep is never more than a click away.
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Look/Feel
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Ease of Use/Navigation
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General_Information |
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Registration
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Technical Content
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Support/Convenience
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Engineering Content
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Downloads/Knowledge |
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Market Data
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Acquisition Tools |
View Company Profile at ThomasNet.com
www.nyb.com
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Review Date: December 2007 |
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| BS&B Safety Systems
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Rupture disks, safety heads, explosion vents
OVERALL RATING:
Before visitors start browsing for products that fit their needs, they should make sure to note the selection guide, available only from the homepage, that offers access to helpful PDFs on such topics as conversion factors, combination capacity, and preventive maintenance. The lack of a search tool may be off-putting to some, but the way this website is laid out lends itself to intuitive navigation. Most product pages offer extensive information on the products themselves in addition to downloadable brochures and installation instructions. Size charts, standards listings, and company information (historical, celebratory) are also provided to round out this well-balanced and informative website.
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About Our Ratings ...
More Details
Close
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 SystemLook/Feel
Overall appearance and organization of home page elements and site structure;
buttons, frames, menus
General Information (Breadth)
Overviews of products and services; general information such as basic product
functions, features and benefits
Technical Content (Depth)
Expanding the previous to available configurations, customization, detailed
specifications, technical whitepapers, etc.
Engineering Content
Detailed engineering drawings, multiple product perspectives/photos, schematics,
and CAD elements available for use in designs
Market Data
Information available about the company's markets, specific products in a
marketwide perspective, market trends, whitepapers, etc.
Ease of Use/Navigation
Ease/difficulty of finding information, number of layers down it may take to get
from basic to detailed information, minimal use of pop-ups
Registration
Registration not required for most types of information (e.g., basic to detailed
product specs) but may be required for higher-value items such as whitepapers;
length of forms/number of fields to register
Support/Convenience Tools
Customer support information, contact names/phone numbers/email addresses;
Email-to-Friend, Print this Page, RSS Feeds, and other convenience features
Downloads/Knowledge
Software/firmware updates, diagnostic tools; searchable/browsable knowledgebase
of installation, configuration, troubleshooting information
Aquistion Tools
Easy-to-use contact info/paths to acquire products through distributor-only
operations; online/transactional availability of products/services
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