What are CAD Services?

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To know what are CAD services we first need to say a few things about CAD itself. CAD has been around for almost as long as the modern computer. An increase in efficiency when design was moved from hand to computer has led to industries moving forward in leaps and bounds. These advancements have come in record time and it is all thanks to the increase in the designer’s productivity and improved communication through documentation. CAD software has also led to improved design quality and design standards.

What is CAD?

In a fast-paced world, tech has been incorporated into every part of daily life. Most of the things we see around us, find their origin from some sort of CAD application. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is a bunch of different software that has made a wide variety of drafting and design tasks much more efficient. In the past all ideas were brought to life by hand, this led to problems when an individual wants to make changes to design, as it is a long and tedious process to make changes by hand. CAD software enables design engineers and drafters to bring ideas to life in a dramatically reduced timeframe through different CAD services. CAD services refer to any activity that relates to computer-aided design be it straightforward CAD drafting to BIM (building information management services) and any CAD-based activity in between.

CAD Services for Individuals and Companies

CAD services have many different applications, and one must keep in mind that the need for these services will not be the same for two clients. The need for CAD services usually differs between individuals and companies. At Mechanitec Design we offer a range of CAD services for both individuals and companies.

Individuals usually have an idea that they have penned down as a rough hand-drawn sketch, or they have parts of the product and need an experienced drafter to produce proper CAD designs for these parts or the whole machine. The need of Individual clients usually stems from them having a great idea of what they want, and they know exactly how it should look but they do not have the CAD skills to turn their idea into proper 2d or 3D designs. Individual clients usually provide one-time jobs with little previous CAD input. Once the design has been completed the job is usually done.

Companies have different CAD service needs than the needs of individual clients. Companies can have much larger workloads and could outsource some of their work to increase productivity. Their needs can be something easy but time consuming like converting CAD documentation done in older software, to more modern software that will allow them to make changes or edits more easily. It can also happen that a business lands a big project and overnight there is way too much work for the current workforce. The company might decide to outsource some of the requirements to prevent missing deadlines or prevent its workforce from becoming overworked, as this can lead to unnecessary mistakes and a dip in office efficiency.

These are but a few examples of the CAD needs of companies and clients. It is important to note that it is not limited to only these mentioned needs as the needs of people may differ from client to client.

patent drawing cad design for an individual service requester — Patent Drawing Example

Different CAD services

CAD Conversion and Translation

Although this is a rather broad-spectrum category. CAD conversion services include converting PDF, scan-based drawings, and data on paper into accurate CAD drawings. By carefully redrafting hand-drawn images or CAD drawings from old CAD software, CAD conversions ensure that you receive accurate and up-to-date designs.

CAD Drafting

CAD software like SolidWorks, AutoCAD, and Fusion 360 (to name only a few) is used to bring concepts and ideas from a mere thought to something on paper, much faster than would be able with hand-sketched designs.

CAD drafting is categorized into two types namely 2D and 3D CAD drafting. 2D CAD lays a foundation for more complex problems and 2D designs form the foundation that is often used when crafting 3D models. 2D drafting, for example, is often used by architects to create the floorplans of a new building.

3D drafting is preferred above 2D these days, as it is believed to be a more accurate representation of real-life objects. A drafter can use 3D drafting to create solids such as a building or a tool for a more lifelike virtual representation before it is produced in the real-world.

Common software for CAD

Different industries require the software they use to perform different tasks. Thus, the software an architecture firm uses, might not work as adequately for an aviation or aerospace company. Some software is well rounded and is used in many different industries while others were programmed to fulfil the need for a very specific industry’s’ design needs.

Below is a list of 4 of the most used CAD software in no particular order.

SolidWorks

SolidWorks is a software that has a huge community of users and it is no surprise that it is one of the most commonly used CAD software around the globe. It is viewed as the industry standard for product development and is used heavily within the design and mechanical engineering industries.

Key Features

3D Solid Modelling
Created with ease of use in mind
Cost estimation, manufacturability checks

AutoCAD

Being one of the oldest and another very commonly used CAD software that’s used for both 2D and 3D design, it also boasts a very large user community. It can very easily be used to create equipment layouts, blueprints, or even model documentation.

Key Features

3D Mesh, solid and surface modeling
2D drawing, drafting, and annotation
Dynamic Blocks

Inventor

Inventor is a 3D modeling software that’s probably one of the biggest competitors to SolidWorks. It is used by industrial and manufacturing engineers in industries ranging from manufacturing to oil and gas equipment.

Key Features

3D Solid Modelling
Visualization
Parametric Modelling

Creo Parametric

Creo Parametric provides its’ users with flexible yet powerful 3D modelling capabilities. It is an ideal CAD software for anyone who uses 3D CAD modelling for product development and design.

Key Features