How CAD Is Breaking The Rules To Generate Revenue

The game has changed in a massive way. 

Are you going to be left behind and miss out?

You aren’t because what you need is in this article, the best is for last.

New tools and breaking boundaries are great for one job!

Solving problems to implement and improve ideas!

CAD systems give you tools and options that you might not have previously thought about. 

One, Two, …… a Million Ideas

For every problem that is discussed, there are always multiple solutions. 

What do you do with multiple solutions?

There are various tools such as morphology analysis, risk assessment matrix, Design of Experiments, and Pugh Matrix  to compare possible solutions.

These tools are great at evaluating the basic framework of an idea, but they struggle to address details of a concept.

These details are critical and often make the difference between overall success and failure

The process of accounting for the multitude of details will involve changes and multiple iterations. 

So what do you need to make those iterations successful??

Flexibility and Speed.

CAD programs offer exactly that!

The ability to change parts or assemblies is an invaluable tool in a designer’s toolbox.

That might look liked changing the existing geometry to fit a specific manufacturing process

Or….

Taking an idea from another concept and incorporating it into the best design.

The days of using drafting tables with drawings sprawled everywhere are over. 

Speed Like It Is The Olympics

Regardless of what product or design, speed always moves the ball forward. 

Changing the size of a feature in a CAD file is often a few simple clicks!

Compare that to the old days of hand drawing design on draft tables. 

What used to take days can be done in minutes

Speed allows for rapid development of a single concept or the variation of multiple concepts. 

Features in CAD software, such as configurations in a design tree, allow a user to connect or separate different ideas. 

How does this help?

The result is idea evaluation and problem solving takes less time!

The more time that is saved on these processes the faster a project can be completed. 

This leads to revenue faster!

Collaboration 

CAD has opened up new ways for team members of different abilities to voice their opinions. 

The entire design can be shared, a photo of a particular angle, a section view, assembly animation, FEA analysis or other data.

Incredible detail can be presented to the right audience to solve that specific issue.

What does that look like?

An FEA analysis showing the possible failure points of a design

Or 

The dimensions of a gap to allow for wires to be routed internally to a design.

The ability to tailor the audience and problem for the optimal collaboration can not be understated.

This leads to speed with precision….

And speed with precision is a key part of success. 

Precision and Details

CAD programs can track vast quantities of details that would be mind numbing to even the smartest person.

Parts, Assemblies, or Design Ideas can be more complex because these systems can track this massive amount of data.

This frees engineers and designers to look at solutions to solve the problem. 

What does this look like?

A slip fit, press fit and clearance fit will all have different tolerances and nominal sizes for the inside diameter of the hole. 

Each option can be tailored in CAD and presented to manufacturing personnel to ensure that the equipment is capable of the requirements.

Modifying the CAD model with a separate configuration may not seem like a big deal 

Unless…..

Compared to the old days of redrawing the entire drawing three separate times to show each configuration.
This simple comparison highlights how a CAD system tracking multiple details can be used to speed up decision making for critical issues. 

With that mindset and the right tools, the ability to solve complex problems just became easier.

Let the System Do The Automation

The evolution of CAD programs has seen multiple features that dramatically automate tasks.

One example of this is how material information can be selected in a part file and the material information shows up on a Bill Of Materials (BOM).

If a material is changed for a specific part, this change will automatically update on the BOM.

Most CAD systems also allow for custom categories. 

This flexibility can be invaluable to designers, such as if a part is purchased from an outside vendor or made in house.

Updates and changes can take just seconds!

With Default settings, it is common for systems to automatically update drawing views from the file of origination. 

This simple automation task ensures that accurate information is a part of the sequential processes.

These automation features act as a multiplier for the amount of work that one individual can complete. 

Use automation tools within CAD systems to spend time on productive tasks.

A One Of A Kind

When the precision of CAD systems was combined with Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) machining, a host of customization options became easily accessible. 

More options opened the ability to tailor products to a specific audience.

Have you ever seen southern home decor?

From picture frames to dishes, southern women love putting their initials on everything. 

The changing of the style and selection of letters used to require a true artist with a laser focus to get it just right now. 

That sounds slow….

It is, but the future is here!

WIth CAD programs, a new design and style can be changed out in a matter of minutes.

Precision is driven by machines so no worry about an unwanted brush stroke. 

The ease and ability to make changes make it profitable for companies to offer custom designs for those picture frames and dishes those women love. 

Now one or multiple designs can be produced with speed to help a business build revenue.