Emulate3D

Garvey, a manufacturer of conveyor accumulation systems for food and beverage bottling lines, faced a persistent sales challenge: prospective beverage customers struggled to visualize how accumulation technology would perform within their specific production environments. Static diagrams and specification sheets failed to convey the dynamic behavior of these systems under varying throughput conditions. Garvey needed a demonstration approach that could run on standard hardware, respond to real-time parameter changes during live customer meetings, and show different production scenarios on demand — without requiring specialized rigs or on-site equipment. Without this capability, the sales team could not effectively differentiate Garvey's systems against competitors in a capital-intensive buying process.

Garvey implemented Emulate3D, Rockwell Automation's 3D simulation and digital twin software within the FactoryTalk Design Suite, to build interactive virtual models of its accumulation systems. The software was chosen specifically because it operates on standard off-the-shelf hardware, removing logistical barriers to customer-facing demonstrations. Sales engineers could adjust line parameters — conveyor speeds, accumulation buffer sizes, throughput rates — in real time during presentations, making it possible to respond to prospect questions with immediate visual evidence rather than follow-up documentation. Emulate3D also supported screen-recorded demo sequences, allowing the team to produce polished, shareable content for stakeholders who could not attend live sessions, extending the tool's value beyond the initial sales meeting.

Emulate3D gave Garvey's sales team a credible, interactive way to communicate the throughput and uptime benefits of proper accumulation — directly to the engineers and procurement leads making capital decisions at major beverage producers. Key outcomes included:

• Improved customer communication: Complex line behavior became tangible and verifiable before any capital commitment was made.
• Flexible demonstration format: Real-time parameter adjustments allowed the team to address objections and explore customer-specific scenarios on the spot.
• Expanded stakeholder reach: Screen-recorded demos gave procurement and engineering contacts a reference they could review independently, supporting multi-stakeholder buying processes.

The combined approach strengthened Garvey's position with key beverage customers and supported new customer acquisition.

• Standard hardware compatibility is a practical prerequisite for sales-facing simulation tools — specialized rigs limit where and when effective demos can happen.
• Real-time parameter manipulation during customer meetings shifts conversations from hypothetical to demonstrable, reducing the sales cycle.
• Combining live and pre-recorded formats serves different stakeholder audiences across a buying committee simultaneously.
• Digital twin visualization is particularly valuable in food and beverage, where line behavior under variable throughput is difficult to convey through static materials.
• Simulation software can deliver commercial value in sales and pre-sales contexts well before it reaches the factory floor.