How Mechanical Engineers Use 3D Modeling for Design?
3D modeling has become an integral part of many industries across the globe. Mechanical engineers and designers are making the most of the advanced 3D modeling tools available in the market. 3D modeling is an integral part of the mechanical engineering field, from simulation till all the way to manufacturing. The traditional ways of drawing poses many challenges. Inaccurate drawings and CAD modeling can cost you valuable time and money. This is because most designers and engineers realize design flaws during the manufacturing stage. Therefore, they are forced to revisit the design phase again and again till the design is perfected. The importance of CAD modeling and drawing in the mechanical design process can be understood with the fact that 3D CAD modeling helps in eliminating these design problems at the design stage itself and helps eliminate costly design changes even before the design reaches the manufacturing stage . It does this by eliminating the need for redundant designs and increasing the overall design accuracy.
If you are finding it challenging to create accurate mechanical designs using conventional drafting techniques, read on as we discuss how mechanical engineers use 3D modeling for design in a beneficial manner.
Benefits of 3D Modeling for Design
Imprecise drawings and modeling can result in a wastage of time and money. 3D modeling mechanical engineering can increase the overall accuracy and eliminate redundant design by offering:
Better design quality
The most significant importance of CAD in mechanical engineering is that the CAD software available today are targeted at specific engineering sectors. For example, CAD software such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, OnShape, etc are primarily used in the mechanical engineering sector. They come preloaded with engineering standards which can be leveraged to ensure that the designs created in this software strictly follow the globally established standards. This not only saves time but ensures you don’t have to revisit the design phase in the future.
The documentation process becomes easy
When it comes to manually drafting engineering drawings, the process involves manually documenting numerous aspects of the mechanical components. You can ask any mechanical engineer, and he/she will tell you how tedious and time-consuming it is. With 3D CAD modeling, the whole process of generating manufacturing ready engineering drawings becomes a lot easier. These tools come with preloaded documentation options like material specifications, bill of materials, product dimensions, tolerances, GD&T, surface finish, , and more.
Increases the designer’s productivity
The most significant importance of 3D modeling is that it can increase a designer’s productivity. You can visualize the components in 3D from the beginning itself. With 3D CAD modeling, the designer can make the necessary changes instantly and visualize and verify its effects in the overall design. This saves a lot of time that a designer might spend correcting the design, once completed. Thus it significantly increases the productivity of the designer.
Automatically redrawing of designs
3D CAD modeling tools are designed in such a way that they can automatically redraw the designs if needed. Traditional drawing techniques make it difficult for the designers to redraw the hidden parts of the mechanical components. With 3D CAD modeling, the hidden features and components are automatically redrawn from the 3D CAD model of the design. The best part is that, if there are any design changes, the CAD software automatically updates the drawing , therefore eliminating any chances of error.
Ensures compliance
When you use 3D modeling for designing mechanical components, you can rest assured that the designs you create conform to international standards. 3D CAD software support a wide range of drafting platforms, including but not limited to ANSI, GOST, GB, ISO, DIN, CSN, BSI, etc. . Therefore, you can freely make designs without any worries. Compliance with the industry standards ensures better outcomes.
Cost optimization and reduction in design times
Mechanical engineers can leverage the numerous standard mechanical components such as fasteners, structural elements, etc. that 3D CAD software already have inbuilt into the software . This saves the engineers from creating standard mechanical components from scratch. This saves crucial time and reduces time to market and optimizes cost. However, CAD Software are incredibly expensive and can incur huge capital investments. Together with hiring, training and retaining a large in-house design team may take the focus away from the primary business. So, a manufacturing company can outsource 3D CAD modeling services to an already established company that can look after your designing needs. This will not only save capex but ensures that you get high-quality 3D CAD designs for ready manufacturing.
Better visualization
Another advantage of 3D CAD models is that they offer the best visual images of the design. Depending on the requirements, mechanical engineers may choose to animate the design so that their functionalities can be observed. Visual graphics help in better understanding the features and properties of the mechanical components of the design together with even the electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electronic systems
3D CAD modeling helps mechanical engineers demonstrate the components’ functionalities in an efficient manner so that crucial design decisions are easy to make based on real visual data.
Pentadesk has domain authority in a variety of industries, including medical devices, automotive, heavy machinery, etc. Contact now to get the best quote on our 3D CAD modeling services.
