Static manuals separate diagrams from parts data
Users move between drawings, tables and other systems to identify one component.
Equipment & Machinery
Make complex equipment easier to navigate, identify and support.
Equipment parts catalogs become difficult when one machine contains multiple assemblies, hundreds of callouts and years of replacement history. PartGrid turns exploded views and structured parts data into interactive catalogs that help customers, dealers and service teams move from machine context to the relevant part.
Operating context
Equipment parts information has to survive the lifecycle of the machine.
For machinery and equipment businesses, a parts catalog is rarely just a searchable product list. Users often begin with a machine family, model or assembly, then use an exploded view to understand where a component sits before they can identify it. That becomes harder as equipment stays in service for years. Manuals accumulate, part numbers change, assemblies are revised and different markets or dealer networks may need different catalog scope. PartGrid provides a visual catalog layer that connects this existing documentation and parts data without requiring the systems that own ERP, PIM, commerce or fulfillment to be replaced.
Long equipment lifecycles
Keep older diagrams useful while current part relationships evolve.
Assembly-driven lookup
Organize the experience around machines, categories and schematics rather than expecting users to know a SKU.
Multiple audiences
Reuse governed catalog data in customer, dealer and internal service experiences.
Recurring friction
Why machinery parts lookup becomes difficult at scale.
Users often know location, not terminology
A technician may recognize the failed component visually without knowing its current description or part number.
Old equipment creates replacement complexity
Original references can remain in manuals long after a preferred replacement exists.
Large catalogs become expensive to maintain manually
Machine families, assemblies, schematics and parts create repetitive catalog work.
Different markets need different presentation
The same core equipment can require different language, currency or catalog scope.
Support becomes the fallback search engine
Difficult identification generates repeated “which part do I need?” questions.
Workflow transformation
Move from technical documentation to an interactive equipment catalog.
- 01
Bring in the source material
Start with exploded-view images, technical drawings, PDF manual pages and structured part data.
- 02
Detect and connect diagram references
Use AI-assisted number detection and matching to accelerate the first pass.
- 03
Review before publishing
Correct mappings and verify the catalog before exposing it to customers or partners.
- 04
Organize by equipment and assembly
Use categories, collections and schematics to create a navigable catalog structure.
- 05
Publish the right experience
Deliver catalogs through customer sites, dealer environments, ecommerce pages or other supported embedded contexts.
- 06
Keep identification connected to action
Where configured, let selected parts continue into quote, cart or another downstream workflow.
Relevant capabilities
Use the capabilities that solve the equipment-catalog problem.
Interactive parts diagrams
Connect visual callouts with structured part records so users can move between diagram and parts list.
Explore interactive parts diagramsPDF conversion
Reuse valuable parts manuals as source material rather than manually rebuilding every catalog page.
Convert existing parts manualsCollections and categories
Structure machines, assemblies and related schematics into navigable catalog experiences.
Organize complex parts catalogsPart replacement and supersession
Surface current replacement guidance where obsolete references have been linked to preferred parts.
Manage replacement relationshipsBulk catalog tools
Reduce repetitive work when managing larger sets of parts, categories and schematics.
Manage catalogs in bulkCommon scenarios
Common equipment parts catalog scenarios.
Scenario 1
A customer knows the machine but not the part.
The customer recognizes the machine and where the component sits, but does not know the current part name or number.
They can navigate to the relevant model and assembly, use the exploded view to locate the component and inspect the connected part information.
Scenario 2
A technician is working from an older manual.
An older exploded view still provides the right visual context, but the original part reference may no longer be the preferred service item.
The original reference can remain useful for identification while configured replacement guidance points toward the current part relationship.
Scenario 3
A manufacturer sells the same equipment internationally.
The underlying equipment and schematic relationships are shared, while customer-facing language, currency or catalog scope differs by market.
Shared catalog structure can remain governed centrally while market-facing experiences vary where needed.
Scenario 4
A dealer receives repeated identification requests.
Customers and technicians repeatedly ask the dealer to identify parts from screenshots, manuals or vague descriptions.
A searchable visual catalog gives the dealer another way to resolve parts questions without relying only on PDFs or central support.
Go deeper into the workflow
For a customer-facing lookup journey, see the self-service parts finder. For international catalog delivery, explore multi-region parts catalogs.
Rollout approach
Start with one equipment family before expanding the catalog.
Start with a product family that has useful exploded views and reasonably structured parts data. Confirm machine and assembly structure, process the source diagrams, review mappings and test the user journey with the audience that currently experiences the most lookup friction. Once that structure works, additional equipment families, markets and delivery channels can reuse the same approach.
1
Choose a representative machine family
Select equipment with useful source diagrams, structured parts data and recurring lookup questions.
2
Connect diagrams and part data
Process the relevant source material, map diagram references and review the resulting part connections.
3
Validate with real lookup tasks
Test whether customers, dealers or technicians can complete the identification journey with the expected context.
4
Expand by product family, channel or market
Reuse the proven catalog structure as more equipment, audiences and regions are added.
AI-assisted detection and mapping should be reviewed before customer-facing publication.
Decision support
When an interactive equipment catalog is a strong fit.
PartGrid is most useful when visual assembly context is materially important to finding the right part and the catalog needs to stay connected to current part data and downstream workflows.
A strong fit when
- Exploded views materially help users identify parts.
- Machines contain enough complexity that text search alone is insufficient.
- Existing manuals or drawings contain reusable catalog knowledge.
- Equipment remains serviceable for years.
- Customers, dealers or technicians repeatedly need visual parts lookup.
Consider first
- Source diagrams need to be available and usable.
- AI-assisted detection and matching still require review.
- Replacement guidance depends on replacement relationships being supplied or configured.
- PartGrid complements rather than automatically replacing ERP, PIM, ecommerce, inventory and fulfillment systems.
FAQ
Equipment parts catalog questions.
Can we reuse our existing exploded views?+
Yes. Existing exploded-view images and technical drawings can be used as source material for interactive parts diagrams, provided the callouts and part relationships are processed and reviewed.
Can PDF parts manuals be used?+
Yes. PDF catalog or manual pages can be processed into structured catalog content and interactive diagram workflows. The source material and output should be reviewed before publishing.
Does AI automatically map every diagram label?+
PartGrid supports AI-assisted number and callout detection and matching to speed up the first pass. Results should be reviewed and corrected before customer-facing publication.
How are old or superseded parts handled?+
Where replacement or supersession relationships have been configured, the catalog can surface guidance that connects an older reference to the preferred current item.
Can different dealers or markets get different catalog experiences?+
PartGrid can support collections, localization and market- or channel-specific catalog presentation, depending on the configured structure and available localized content.
Does PartGrid replace our ERP, PIM or ecommerce platform?+
No. PartGrid provides the visual parts-catalog and lookup layer and can hand selected parts into configured workflows. ERP, PIM, pricing, checkout, stock and fulfillment can remain in existing systems.
Turn one of your equipment diagrams into a working parts experience.
Start with an existing exploded view and parts list to see how PartGrid could fit your equipment catalog workflow.