What Manufacturers Should Expect From a Modern CAD Solution

The digital transformation has swept through every aspect of the manufacturing sector for the past decade. But it actually dates all the way back to the ’90s with the advent of a technology called computer aided design (CAD). The software has digitized the entire design phase of the product lifecycle and helped manufacturing designers overcome the limits of manual drafting.

With more than three decades in the marketplace, the capabilities of CAD software have evolved right alongside automation and other manufacturing technology breakthroughs. Still, many independent product designers and small operations have yet to embrace what CAD has to offer.

How do you know which program is best for you? If you’re wondering how to evaluate the different solutions in the marketplace, you’ve come to the right place.

Why CAD Software Is so Important

In order to identify the best CAD solution, you first need to understand what you can gain from the software.

CAD streamlines design by removing manual labor from the process. Instead of drawing designs by hand, CAD users can plot out both 2D and 3D shapes to create objects in a fraction of the time it would take to put pencil to paper. Unlike with illustrations, CAD users don’t even need technical proficiency to bring their visions to life.

Revisions are also easier to implement than with hand-drafted designs. If CAD users make a mistake, or need to implement feedback, there’s no need to painstakingly erase lines or start a new drawing from scratch. With a few clicks or keystrokes, you can change measurements, or add and subtract elements, turning around new drafts in just minutes. This creates time for designs to go through many rounds of approval, so there’s less chance of wasting money on poorly planned production. At the end of the day, companies realize incredible cost savings simply from using CAD as a design tool.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CAD FOR MANUFACTURERS

Ready to revolutionize your designs and drive efficiency? Don’t get left in the past with manual drafting. Click now for the ultimate CAD guide!

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CAD FOR MANUFACTURERS

Ready to revolutionize your designs and drive efficiency? Don’t get left in the past with manual drafting. Click now for the ultimate CAD guide!

What To Look For in a CAD Solution

A lot of CAD programs promise incredible benefits, but how do you know whether they can actually deliver? Here are the specific feature and capabilities you should expect CAD software to have:

The latest generation of CAD software has evolved to address the needs of different manufacturing industries. Designers would not build a product out of steel the same way they would out lumber, but basic CAD solutions don’t incorporate material properties. Choose CAD software that’s capable of parametric design, or programmed to understand the nuances of different materials to reduce the risk of designing a product that’s unworkable in real life.

Pressure is mounting for manufacturers to control costs and improve efficiency, and this is even creeping into the design phase of the product lifecycle. You need CAD software that integrates seamlessly with the systems of other departments to improve collaboration, make better design choices, and accelerate the approval process.

The ideal solution will integrate with your company’s ERP for better communication about what parts are available for use in a design. Or it could integrate with production software to help flag design elements that might create challenges during manufacturing.

Leading CAD software goes beyond just 3D modeling to allow you to create photorealistic product renderings. You can even map textures from photographs onto your designs to show how they would look in real life.

These renderings can even respond to dynamic lighting, which can help designers make better material choices. Some programs can even place 3D products in fully realized environments for a preview of how they would look in the real world.

Why Great Design Begins With Revalize CAD Software

Revalize offers these advanced capabilities and more for a comprehensive but easy-to-use CAD program. Even better, the CAD solution is just one part of an entire product lifecycle management software, so users can utilize the entire Revalize suite of solutions to manage their entire idea-to-cash journey from one platform.

What Manufacturers Should Expect From a Modern CAD Solution

Why CAD Software Is so Important

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CAD FOR MANUFACTURERS

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CAD FOR MANUFACTURERS

What To Look For in a CAD Solution

Why Great Design Begins With Revalize CAD Software

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