Introduction
Three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) is a design technology to replace manual drafting with an automated process.
CAD provides detailed descriptions of any product in a graphical format like points, lines, curves, surfaces, and shapes. The process of product development to manufacturing involves multiple key steps, where CAD helps in primary and detailed designing, creating 3D models, and analysis. The well-analyzed 3D model is then passed on to manufacturing, thereby to the end-user as a final working product.
CAD computer software helps in analysis, creation, and manipulation. Also, it’s used to design and document a product in the design process. It improves product development time, product quality, and productivity thus directly reducing the cost of manufacturing and product.
These kinds of 3D CAD models are used for creating digital applications in the space of animation, manufacturing, and prototyping processes. Also, it’s used in various industries for rendering and simulation.
Users can design any kind of machine parts, equipment, or system, helping the designers and engineers to create ideas, visualize, and produce exact details based on the design.
CAD Software Development
Considering the complexities involved in the development of CAD software from scratch is a bit challenging decision to make for any growing organization. Once the decision is made, the team needs to consider multiple factors. It’s required to analyze the compatibility of CAD software systems for any kind of organization.
To develop CAD software, it is important to have skilled developers and compatible & cutting-edge programming language, followed by state-of-the-art testing practices. Also, a few important points need to be considered which are Acceptance Criteria, Tolerances, Algorithm complexity, Interoperability, and Risk of Regression.
When it comes to interoperability, importing and exporting CAD 3D model leads to the loss of some features, resulting in some partial conversion of the 3D model and incomplete objects. It indicates the missing surfaces in the CAD 3D model. This situation is quite a headache for CAD users. So, robust CAD software must be equipped with seamless interoperability capabilities, which helps in transforming CAD models from other native CAD 3D formats without losing any data.
Benefits of CAD Software
- Delivers accuracy while creating a detailed design with fewer errors, ensuring the quality of end products.
- Generates ‘Bill of Materials’ for outsourcing the production plan
- Generates 3D print directly from exported CAD 3D files, enabling the newly designed components to be rapidly prototyped, and physical parts can be handled and reviewed way in advance before the final production. It is a quick comparison to other conventional methods of prototyping where manufacturing depends on the size of components. It means high-quality prototyping is possible. Complex geometric shapes can be printed, which is very difficult to produce through a conventional manufacturing process.
- Maintains design integrity and manages reusability.
- Increases efficiency of the design quality and speeds up productivity
- Increases productivity by speeding up the end-to-end process (design to getting manufacture ready)
- Enables designers to work smarter and faster with lower production costs
- Provides integrated module to generate tool path with associated code for corresponding machines.
Visualization of 3D CAD Model
CAD Visualization tool is used to visualize and interact with large sizes of CAD 3D models. This enables the user to view 3D models which contain the definition of geometry creation and parametric features. Visualizing an object creation is one of the most powerful means of communication.
It empowers designers with the capabilities to perform 3D rendering to realize the project output before moving on to production. Here users can create a section-wise view and share images with to end user for perusal. It helps in providing interactive experiences to clients and stakeholders.
This tool can be customized with different properties like materials and lighting, and camera angles for capturing designer vision from multiple perspectives. It is considered an essential tool for visualization before implementing a manufacturing process.
Manufacturing organizations are required to analyze 3D models. They should explore a few steps as to how the product will finally get manufactured on the floor. Here, the platform offers certain key features that enable users to develop procedures and validate.
InSemi into CAD Software Development
InSemi has been involved in developing a CAD platform which includes developing geometric algorithms, different kinds of geometric kernels, and various CAD APIs using new technologies. The team is involved in solving complex algorithm and engineering problems across the CAD domain and creating multiple solutions for various domains like aerospace, automotive, healthcare, etc.
The team of software engineers at InSemi is keen to accept upcoming new challenges with solid expertise in computer graphics, CAD geometric kernels, and CAD APIs. The team is proficient in developing new products to support client projects and businesses.
3D CAD visualization, CAD customization, and CAD 3D modelling are the core areas of focus for InSemi’s software services COE.
Contributed By:
Author – Balaji P | Senior Manager – Software