30
3d Cad For Engineers
Category: 7Making and testing a prototype of a mechanical part can be a time consuming and therefore expensive operation. For many years large companies have spent considerable time developing their products using a CAD system a long time before going into the workshop. Airplanes and cars are tested extensively long before the first component is made. This technology is now available to the smaller company making engineering parts or machines at a cost that will actually save them money.
Developing a machine, such as a lock, in the workshop can be a very time consuming business and sending the prototype to a factory, perhaps thousands of miles away, is asking for problems. Designing a machine consisting of different parts as a CAD drawing first has several advantages. Time and therefore cost is the most obvious. Many parts of any machine will be reliant on other parts, therefore to change the size of one part will necessitate changing others. In a CAD drawing this can take seconds or minutes, not the many hours it would take to re-make several parts. Also it is possible to try several scenarios and view different outcomes to variations of design. At the end of the day if it goes together in the CAD drawing, then it will go together in the workshop.
Animation plug-ins for CAD systems further extend the possibilities of testing within the software. Linkages or other moving parts can be tested and refined.
The first steps in putting any design together is no different on a computer than it is at the drawing board. There are a few extra lessons to be learned, but for many packages this can take only days and there is often on-line or telephone help when stuck. The three big advantages to coming off the drawing board are: firstly, mistakes and changes are easily corrected, as already stated. Secondly, components used on a regular basis can be stored and simply dropped in, no need to re-draw each time. Thirdly, drawings can be electronically shared between colleagues’ for comment or advice and to send to prospective clients, even if they do not have a CAD system themselves.
It is important that the CAD system is able to read all the main file formats, as many as possible. As long as this is the case, swapping files with other companies and other designers is not a problem. Smaller companies using lower and mid-range software need to ensure that the file formats that their CAD software writes in is compatible with high end software that the big boys may be using. It is also an advantage to be able to read Sketch Up files, as this is a good free design package. Being able to save as PDF will allow you to send designs to those without their own CAD package for approval or comment.
Large material libraries are available to be imposed on a surface with a click of the mouse. There are metals, marbles, stones, textiles, wood, bricks, glass and many more. Extensive symbol libraries containing electrical symbols, nuts and bolts etc. can be downloaded free, or bought cheaply, and inserted into your design to save time and give a more realistic look. Lighting can be changed to create shadows to add a bit of drama to the finished visualization.
Paul Tracey is the Product Manager at Avanquest UK Ltd, for TurboCAD Pro. You can visit his blog at http://www.paulthecad.co.uk for video demonstrations of the 3D CAD Software in action.
Tags: 3D CAD, AutoCAD, CAD, CAD CAM, CAD Design, CAD Software, Drafting, 3D