An HVAC duct heater manufacturer replaced back-and-forth emails and manual calculations with an interactive 3D configurator. Customers and sales engineers now configure complex assemblies in real time, see the product in 3D before ordering, and generate accurate specs instantly -- on desktop, tablet, or 55" showroom touch displays.

The Challenge

Duct heaters are fully customized products. Duct dimensions, voltage, power requirements, and circuit count all affect the internal layout of heating elements. Configuring one correctly requires engineering calculations for wire gauge, watt density, element spacing, and electrical requirements.

The existing process was slow and opaque: customers emailed requirements, engineers calculated manually, 2D drawings went back and forth, and customers often did not understand what they were ordering until it arrived. Hours of engineering time per quote. Frequent misunderstandings. Order changes after the fact.

The manufacturer wanted customers and sales engineers to configure products themselves -- see exactly what they are getting in 3D, get instant engineering validation, and generate accurate specs without engineering bottleneck.

The Solution

Interactive 3D Configuration

As users adjust duct dimensions, power, voltage, and circuit parameters, a procedurally generated 3D model updates in real time. Users see exactly how heating elements will be arranged inside the duct, rotate to inspect from any angle, and switch between 3D, front, top, and side views. The model is generated from parameters -- not pre-built files -- enabling unlimited configuration combinations.

Automatic Engineering Validation

The app implements the manufacturer's engineering formulas to calculate element layout, wire specifications, watt density, and electrical requirements instantly. Real-time feedback warns when configurations approach engineering limits and prevents invalid combinations entirely.

Touch-Optimized for Showrooms

The interface was designed for 55" 4K touch displays used in showrooms and trade shows: 64-72px minimum touch targets, distance-optimized typography, and multi-touch gesture support for 3D rotation and zoom. The same app scales to desktop browsers and tablets with adaptive layouts.

Procedural 3D with WebGL

Built with React Three Fiber (Three.js), the renderer achieves smooth 60fps on standard hardware. Level-of-detail optimizations keep the app responsive regardless of configuration complexity. All rendering happens client-side with zero server dependency.

The Results

This project is part of a larger configurator platform we built for this manufacturer. For the full story covering 30+ product types, 200+ engineering formulas, automated BOMs, and PDF generation, see the complete heater configurator case study.