Are you in a 3D CAD Wagon World

Here are the 5 unique features that are only combined in IronCAD.

   1. The Single Model Environment

This is by far the most productive work environment. Imagine just designing your parts and assemblies. No worry about naming and maintaining parts until the project is done. Yes, of course, you can have referenced external parts. You can have multiple design iterations in the same file, it basically eliminates the term "Top-Down" design. It is incredibly easy to compare and present the different concepts.

Ref: IronCAD vs Solidworks and the Pro/e Paradigm

Ref: 3D CAD Single Model Design Environment

    2. Drag and Drop Design from Catalogs

Say goodbye to the constrained sketching world the 3D CAD Wagon World. Just drag and drop shapes to begin your designs. Yes, of course, you can sketch when necessary. But even sketching is a much simpler and productive process. You drag and drop features, parts and assemblies from standard and custom Catalogs. There are many other function like fasteners, sheet metal, surface, texture, etc., just drag them from the catalog. My biggest problem when introducing a Pro/e clone user to IronCAD is trying to get them to realize they don't need to do constrained sketching. I will tell you the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain only design process is burned into too many minds and costing a fortune in design time..

Ref: Simplifying Your Design Process!

In the following article I provide many exercises comparing the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain world to Streamlined Sketching and Feature Base Modeling that can provide 5 to 10X increase in design productivity.

Ref: 3D Modeling Techniques Defined

    3. Copy and Pasting from different files

One day I was just working away creating a new product and I had four or five assemblies up with parts that contained parts/sub-assemblies I would be using in my new product. I realized that I was just copying and pasting them into my new assembly for reference or for use. I realized that this is incredibly productive and should be included in functions that increase 3D CAD productivity.

Ref: Reusing 3D CAD Models for a New Product

    4. Integrated Direct Edit

Say good bye to the term "design intent". IronCAD has both history and direct edit available in a unique design process. Imagine being well into the design and realize you have to do something that just cannot be done at that level. With IronCAD there is no problem you just start directly modifying the part with a push of the right mouse button.

Ref: Next Generation 3D CAD Technology Applied!

   5. The Incredible Triball

This was the very first 3D CAD feature, part and assembly manipulator. It has been copied and is basically only available on the direct edit programs. This is not just some assembly alignment tool. This allows you to move, copy and link features, parts and assemblies. The Triball is incredibly functional when working in the single model environment handling parts and assemblies. Mirroring is a breeze, whether you are copying or linking.

Ref: IronCAD's Unique TriBall Basics

IronCAD can use any other systems 3D CAD models as if they were created natively in IronCAD with direct edit functionality a part of the design process. This is a huge benefit if you are a supplier that works with many different 3D CAD Wagons. If you do tooling, just import the part or assembly and start working. No worry about creating or maintaining the separate parts.

Incredibly Flexible and Productive Functionality!

So there you go. Imagine just one of those being effectively available in your 3D CAD Wagon World.

Are You a Manufacturing Supplier?

Outside suppliers can hardly afford to have a copy of very expensive programs like Creo (Pro/E), Siemens NX, Catia, Solidwork, Inventor, etc. Not only are they expensive, but most have a very complex interface and long learning curves. I chuckle at some that use Solidworks and try to work with non-native files. I can only imagine the problems they run into.

Designer, engineers or drafting checker are not the only people that needs to review the design. We have manufacturing, materials, and stress engineers that need access to the design.

Ref: Quoting Tools: CAD Dimensioning Another Band-Aid for MBE!

So what do they do? With Inovate (IronCAD's modeling only package) suppliers can have a very inexpensive translator to import the above native programs. But with INOVATE you can edit the models. Like removing features that are in the way during the machining process. Most of the features can be converted to recognizable features that can be suppressed to create a part for rough machining and then again with all the features available to finish the job. You can remove fillets or any other feature that will get in your way.

Ref: Checking, Design Review, Manufacturing and Data Extraction!

Add the capabilities of IronCAD you have an incredible 3D CAD tool for planning. You can bring in the parts and easily create your planning orders in the robust documentation module. Bring in full assemblies into one file.

Let's not forget the Industrial Designer

IronCAD is the perfect system for the Industrial Designer! Flexibility not found in the 3D CAD Wagon World. Imagine the freedom from the bonds of separate part and assembly restriction. Design the way you want! Many different iterations of the design in the same file!

Ref: 3D CAD for the Industrial and Product Designer

Other benefits?

Easy to use.

With its easy to use graphic design premise, everyone in the company could use it. It could easily be utilized by other departments like marketing, tech pubs, sales, purchasing, planning, analysis, manufacturing or any other department that can utilize the 3D model with very little training. We have free viewers and other programs that they could also be used to access the 3D data and documentation throughout the company. Management at any level could be comfortable with using the package to review or present the current or past designs. Compare that to the 3D CAD Wagons.

Ref: Leverage Your Engineering Data throughout your Organization!

Ref: IRONCAD COMPOSE Configure - View – Communicate

Reuse Existing Data

Data Reuse is a new buzz word in the industry. Designing new similar products with a 3D CAD Sports Car can take hours not days. Incredibly easy to create “What If” options on the fly never getting out of the same file. You can drag and drop from custom catalogs or bring up existing parts and assemblies and copy and paste the mating parts for reference or to directly modify. There just are no limitation in this functionality

Ref: Reusing 3D CAD Models for a New Product

Integrated Realistic Rendering and Animation

This program started out as a solid modeling graphic design program. The integrated Realistic Rendering and Animation, once learned, can be part of your design process for quick presentations or for use in other departments such as marketing, sales and tech pubs. I had an engineer working at Boeing that was a wiz at animation and could have presentation ready in no time.

Ref: Leverage Your Engineering Data - Sales, Publication and Marketing

Easy Fabrication, Weldments and Inseparable Assemblies

With the Single Model Environment these parts can be defined as subassemblies. No special procedures or hoops to jump through. You can have custom and standard parts easily available in the catalog.

We also include great sheet metal design, intermediate surfacing, mechanism kinematics, parametric design plus many more features!

Ref: List of features and comparison of our two packages IronCAD and Inovate!

IronCAD can easily create any level of engineering documentation. But it can also be easily used by planning, tech-pubs, marketing and sales.

Think of what you are doing now to provide access your engineering data to the other departments. Engineers just do not have the time to support outside engineering information requests.

Legacy data? You can easily develop a system to access the native files in your original system while you move to the 3D CAD Sports Car system. Believe me, today's overly complex PLM engineering system is costing the industry billion$. But that is a different subject.

Ref: The Death of PLM

Ref: The Ultimate Document Control System

Interested?

So let’s see the objections and how to handle them as you consider moving to this highly productive new 3D CAD Sports Car Paradigm.

CEO, President or Owner.

Today, you are faced with some new decisions as it relates to your CAD system. Autodesk and PTC are moving to subscription only. Have you looked at the ramifications? Do you really want to be at those two companies mercy with your precious Intellectual Property? You think they may raise the price of the subscription? Is the Pope a Catholic?

I know, I know this may be the engineering VP or manager’s problem. But many times it is only your direct investigation that can make this change. Those below you are not interested in increase productivity and may be totally unaware they are in the 3D CAD Wagon World. Give me a call and I will make you familiar with your existing process and how to implement an incredibly cost savings process across your enterprise that has a very short ROI.

The IT Manager.

You probably have been running the show too long managing the 3D CAD Carriage. Yes, maintaining the information may change a bit. I will tell you for the better as you handle the parts, assemblies and documentations much differently. Yes, we still have an external drawing file but it is very easy to manage inside the system. The engineering deliverable will be delivered and maintained the same way. Internal CAD data will be handled with PDM. The engineering documentation will be moved out of the system into an easy to maintain document control system.

The Engineering VP or Manager.

You may be the only one in the company concerned with CAD productivity. No time for the "primo donna" user. Tired of weak excuses? Slipped Schedules? Stupid errors? You may never have to hear these words again!

"But it is so hard to change!"

What would the boss say if you walked up and said we can increase our design productivity at least 5X and any changes would be done promptly, much faster than we are doing today. Now you could be a star! You can introduce this unique productive solution or you could wait for boss to start quizzing you.

You better be proactive!

Ref: Is 3D CAD Productivity an Oxymoron?

The 3D CAD Engineer

Well you are a bit of a bottom feeder in this process and are at the mercy of management. Productivity is hardly high on your list of problems. You are the very best 3D CAD Wagon user and pride yourself on your skills and change offers you little benefit.

Well this 3D CAD Sports Car world offers a system that is much easier and more fun to use. Reduces the frustration by a factor of 10. Sadly, you may not continue to be the bright and shining star. But, what if you started using this 3D CAD Sports Car and quickly found that you could work on anyone’s part without complaining how it was made. No more time consuming investigation of the history tree to find out how the part was made, just instantly working on the part. And one more fact it is fun to use even when you have to modify the parts or assemblies.

Ref: Next Generation 3D CAD Technology Applied!

Well there you go.

If you are using the 3D CAD carriage, you know you are paying a fortune just keeping it working. It is very interesting, but I believe the 3D CAD Carriage Vendors believe that CAD data management is more important than the engineering with their heavy push for PLM and MBD locking into their system forever.

What kind of engineering freedom is that?

Maybe there is a much simpler way to maintain your engineering than that complicated PDM or PLM inside your 3D CAD system. Why the heck are engineers doing data management, anyway? Maybe we should have a document control systems outside the 3D CAD system like in the past that handled standard engineering deliverables. Heck you may even be stuck trying to make the unworkable MBD (Model Based Definition) work? This truly is a can of worms.

Ref: The Embedded Title Block! A PLM Solution!

Ref: The Ultimate Document Control System

If you are using the 3D CAD utility wagon or 3D CAD buckboard. You too can simplify your PDM by having your part and assembly in a single model environment. Luckily most you have escaped the PLM nightmare. Your engineering deliverable can totally stay the same.

If you are in management get a group together and let me show you how easily you can use your existing CAD data. Most are living in the 3D CAD Wagon World and have a vested interest in staying there. Yes, there would be some changes. But potential productivity increases and ROI are well worth it.

The basis of all engineering starts with the single part!

If you have multiple seat 3D CAD wagon system, buy or rent a seat of IronCAD and give it to your best user. Yes, he/she will resist but with a bit of training they will be up a flying. I will be there every step of the way with a click of the Skype button.

TECH-NET Engineering Services!

We sell and support IronCAD and ZW3D Products and
provide engineering services throughout the USA and Canada!

Why TECH-NET Sells IronCAD and ZW3D

If you are interested in adding professional hybrid modeling capabilities or looking for a new solution to increase your productivity, take some time to download a fully functional 30 day evaluation and play with these packages. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions or would like an on-line presentation.

For more information or to download IronCAD or ZW3D

Joe Brouwer
206-842-0360