Viewpoints on the CAD Industry

Thanks for stopping by. I have written many articles on the Industrial/Mechanical industry, mostly focusing on 3D CAD and documentation. These articles are based on my 52 years of experience in engineering as a Design Draftsman, 3D CAD/CAM Dealer and Engineering Consultant. The first 17 years were on the drafting board as a design draftsman mostly as a contract engineer.

I was introduced to 3D Computervision CADDS 4 in 1982 while on contract with William International, I was introduced to PC based 3D CADKEY in 1985 while on contract with Boeing. I have always designed in 3D and have never done a scratch
drawing in CAD. After talking Boeing 747 Flight Deck into expanding the seats of CADKEY, I saw the writing on the wall. Realizing that 3D PC based CAD would be huge I founded TECH-NET in 1987 becoming a CADKEY VAR.

I supported the great NW which included many Boeing suppliers. Boeing was using Catia 3 and could not only deliver a flat file (drawing), but now a 3D wireframe model to use as a pattern. But the suppliers could not afford the expensive workstation based Catia system. So I started supplying them with professional 3D CADKEY that ran on a PC and was completely compatible with Boeing's Catia system via IGES. Today, I still supply Boeing suppliers with compatible 3D CAD software many with Catia 5 seats. Now that we can read the native files of all of popular 3D software we don't need to worry about the bothering the designers for neutral file formats.

We have been instrumental in molding the 3D industrial and mechanical CAD industry in the NW and West Coast for the past 29 years. I hope you enjoy these articles.

3D CAD
Influence on Engineering

These articles are on the influence 3D CAD had on engineering. It starts with a history of the last 35 years showing the changes. 3D CAD has taken some strange twists and turns in its introduction into engineering. In the beginning it was in the realm of the draftsman and most everything stayed the same.

But things changed when those that never did do any engineering design or documentation started to redefine the engineering system at the turn of the century when the high end systems moved to the PC, They attempted to revise the document control process, renaming it to Product Data Management and Product Lifecycle Management.

It was managed by MSMEs, Engineering PHDs and InfoTech Professionals. They based the complete engineering system on a dated 3D CAD system. This has been a disaster. In these article I define many of the problems and provide uniquely simple solutions, based on my understanding as a draftsman experienced in the proven standard engineering system developed over the centuries, as a 3D CAD designer with thousands of design hour, a 3D CAD dealer for the last 29 years providing sales, training, support and engineering services.

Remember all we added was the 3D model.

These articles are for the upper and engineering management professional that may have a bit of hands on CAD management experience. It also may interest the academics in the engineering schools since the engineer now has taken on the responsibilities of the draftsman. This requires a new type of engineer which I call the "3D CAD engineer". It will illuminate the problems the PLM/MBE/MBD experts are having today.

Here is one of the articles to give you an idea of the topic to get you started!

The Worst to Best 3D CAD System and Why

3D CAD Productivity

These articles show the processes that increase engineering productivity. Not only in the 3D CAD software paradigm, but the other related activities that are required to get our jobs done. Such as training, interoperability, documentation, data sharing, design processes, collaboration, etc.

This is for the direct engineering managers, lead engineers and designers.

Here is one of the articles to give you an idea of the topic to get you started!

Leverage Your Engineering Data throughout your Organization!

3D CAD
Technology Applied

These article shows many projects and examples of 3D CAD applied.

Of course, this would be mostly interesting to the "hands on" 3D CAD designer. But anyone that is interested in todays industrial/mechanical engineering may enjoy these examples of 3D CAD design. We show conceptual design, ease of modifications and changes, reverse engineering, plastic product design and much more.

Here is one of the articles that show the steps of creating a new product.
Reusing 3D CAD Models for a New Product

3D CAD
Techniques Defined

3D Modeling is the basis for our engineering. That is the only place where productivity is paramount. You can have all the PLM/MBE gurus debating data management, but it does not add one smidgeon of productivity to the design process. Take a look at an alternative to the sketch, sketch, constrain, constrain world of the Solidworks clones!

Is 3D CAD Productivity an Oxymoron?

This is one of the more blatant examples of feature based modeling as compare to extensive sketching.

IRONCAD vs Solidworks Lesson Three

ZW3D vs Solidworks Lesson Three

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