Thanks to our online tools, customer service at item begins long before you buy anything and encompasses the entire value-added chain.

The high quality of our profiles and fastening technology made in Germany is one thing, but customer service has to meet the highest standards, too. This has been a guiding principle at item since its earliest days. Our primary motivation is to see the big picture of our customers’ value creation and optimise it. Thanks to the opportunities of digital engineering, this improvement can now start right in the planning phase. Whereas the work of design engineers previously involved spending hours working with a pen and paper in close consultation with their customer adviser or using an expensive CAD work bench, the same work can now be completed in the item Engineeringtool without needing any previous expertise or a special work bench.

Digital tools connect the process steps of the value-added chain

item positioned itself in the innovative field of Digital Engineering at an early stage and has continuously expanded this commitment ever since. It is particularly important to us that our online tools are freely available without limitation. All you need is a standard end device and a web browser, and you’re good to go. When working in the free-of-charge item Engineeringtool, you can develop your project with item components using its simple drag & drop functionality. Handy functions such as automatic alignment of components and plausibility checks for fasteners save you a lot of work. Linking to the steps after design is also easy in the item Engineeringtool. This includes more than simply CAD export and project documentation – the direct order function transfers your design straight to a cart in the item Online Shop with a single click. The Engineeringtool thus forges the first links in the value chain by connecting the planning of solutions to the placement of orders.

The software also makes it easier to connect or network with your colleagues around the world. Internationally unique project numbers enable you to share your designs directly with the others involved in the project. A bridge is also established to conventional CAD programs. Simply use the CAD data output function and then work on your project in your usual CAD environment as normal. The range of services offered by our other online mechanical engineering tools is just as diverse as the world of item. The configurators range from profile machining (item Machiningtool), ergonomic work benches (Work Bench Configurator) and intralogistics transport trolleys (SystemMobile Configurator) to linear technology (item MotionDesigner®) and standard-compliant stairways and platforms (Stairway/Platform Query Assistant).

Service in mechanical engineering should also include training

The advent of digitalisation has also given rise to new, fascinating opportunities for training services in mechanical engineering. item is aiming to take a leading role here, too, and offer real added value to both customers and those interested in mechanical engineering. In the free item Academy, you can find instructions for our products, fundamentals on specialist topics and details about standards. The installation guides are specially optimised for use on laptops and tablets in the workshop. As a result, you are able to apply the knowledge you have gained online directly at your work bench. Being able to complete digital courses means no travelling costs or time restrictions are incurred by you or your staff. Nonetheless, we do still offer face-to-face training courses. These and the item Academy online courses therefore complement each other perfectly.