New: See more of our portfolio on our Elance Portfolio for Drafting Services.

Which CAD system should be used? These days any CAD software should offer a relatively short learning curve. That is part of the current marketing strategy (and market demand). What CAD software you prefer is often a personal issue. But what CAD software you use is more often a business issue.

Although solid modeling and surfacing have revolutionized part design techniques, building and floor plan layout work is still largely 2D. Considerations should be your customer's needs, efficiency and stability, available technical support, interoperability and cost. Although file translation techniques have improved greatly over the years, bringing suppliers under one CAD umbrella is still the best way to avoid mistakes. Verify integrity of data translation for formats like STEP, DXF, DWG and IGES. For AutoCAD compatibility at an affordable price, try progeCAD powered by IntelliCAD and the openDesign/openDWG alliance.

The drawing board is not out of date. Although most tasks are completed much faster by use of a CAD system, I have seen the board be much more practical for 'sketches' like calculations for tolerance studies. This initial paperwork should then be dated and filed for reference.

Many successful designers I know use some form of FMEA ('Failure Mode and Effects Analysis') Its purpose is to outline as many requirements and risks involved with a certain product as possible. As a fringe benefit, it creates a priceless database of know-how and experience for designers.

A bill of materials tells you what, and a drawing will tell you how, but only an FMEA can tell you why.

Some examples of my project work. Recent assignments included design work for large European Automobile manufacturers. Concepts can take many months to develop, and an idea may go through numerous changes, as this Mercedes armrest demonstrates.

Having CAD data to work from is nice, but sometimes there just isn't any. This ABS thin wall interior part was developed and put into production from hand measurements.

FMEAs, along with their associated control plans, are a requirement for automotive suppliers according to German VDA and American QS9000 standards. There are excellent resources available for writing and understanding FMEA at the FMEA Info Center. 

DESIGN

Welcome to the CADDIT.net engineering resource pages. We currently provide worldwide development, IT, drafting, design and prototyping support to second and third tier industries. The CADDIT Network is a formal partnership among several CAD, IT and Design Specialists around the world.

• CADDIT has offices in Sydney:
  
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  Liverpool NSW 2166
  Australia
  
  

• CADDIT offers a large CAD CAM software portfolio
  
  

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• Read more design discussion in the CADDIT forum...
  
  
  

• For fast software development and mathematical concept modelling we recommend python.

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