Role of 3D CAD Drawings in Improving Product Design

1 Introduction
2 Limitations with 2D CAD drawings
3 Benefits of 3D CAD drawing for Product Development
4 Best Practices for 3D CAD Drawings in Product Design
5 Conclusion
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings
7 External links

[edit] Introduction

2D CAD drawings are the conventional method of representing a product as detailed blueprints. CAD drawings have a limitation of use to a novice due to their high technical detailing. Due to the limitations of 2D drawings, professionals are moving towards 3D CAD drawings and models.

These drawings allow industry professionals to accelerate design development with comprehensive data and a reliable source. The project design team can easily interpret 3D drawings and contribute to better product development with seamless collaboration.

[edit] Limitations with 2D CAD drawings

Every technology has its own set of constraints. The popularity of 3D CAD drawings and their advanced features compel designers to switch from 2D drawings. The limitations of 2D CAD drawings are:

Making design modifications is a tedious and time-consuming task in a 2D drawing.
A 2D drawing needs to be drafted from different angles to encapsulate the essence of the product from every aspect and depict all its characteristics.
Several stakeholders work on a drawing that increases its susceptibility to errors. It becomes difficult to track all design modifications and control versions of these drawings.
The level of detail depicted in a 2D CAD drawing is difficult to comprehend by everyone due to its complexity.

3D CAD drawings can help product design firms overcome these challenges by providing clarity in three-dimensional space and effectively communicating the design intent.

[edit] Benefits of 3D CAD drawing for Product Development

3D CAD drawings are easy to understand for any stakeholder and provide their insights. These drawings translate product design to better income with speedy product development, reducing excessive expenditure, higher quality goods, and allowing designers to innovate. Here are the key benefits of using 3D CAD drawing for product development:

Enhanced Accuracy and Error Reduction

A dynamic engineering model forms the foundation of AutoCAD’s operations. The process is a combination of design and production drafting, enabling revisions to any aspect of the project throughout the project’s lifecycle. This feature reduces discrepancies and errors are less likely to occur. This enhances drawing accuracy and minimises the chances of reworking the drawings.

Increase Design efficiency

Designers can conduct tests with 3D drawings to understand how a design will operate with different alterations. It enhances the design performance and overall quality of the final product. 2D drawings do not possess this feature and require conversion to a 3D CAD model for a better design experience.

Savage of Time and Money

3D CAD drawing provides a user-friendly and specialised interface, enhancing the design workflow. The documentation tools of AutoCAD aid designers and increase productivity for product developers, along with the possibility of making faster amendments to the design. The architects streamline the design and documentation operations of the project. After any changes in the drawings, developing designs from scratch demands added effort and time. The streamlined process reduces wastage of time and minimises expenditure on alterations or rework.

Accelerate the Approval Process

A 2D CAD drawing is difficult to convey to the client without any technical background. 3D CAD drawings communicate the design intent, eliminating severe delays in the approval process. The drawings also allow the teams to review the product quickly and make necessary alterations. A non-professional can easily comprehend the design with an accurate and data-driven 3D model.

Enhanced Inter-Team Coordination

With easy comprehension of designs, it becomes convenient to include end users in the design process and get detailed feedback to improve the user experience. Everyone involved in the product design process can collaborate and discuss their respective roles throughout the process.

3D Visualisation

Two-dimensional drawings do not present a detailed view of the product. A 3D CAD drawing allows one to visualise the product design from every angle and understand how it would operate in real-time, which is not a possibility in a 2D drawing. It provides scope to discuss the design in detail and align it better with the client’s requirements.

[edit] Best Practices for 3D CAD Drawings in Product Design

Here are a few practices that should be practised to generate a high-quality product design, that rightfully meets the user requirements:

A clear understanding of the design goals

Brainstorming the functional and aesthetic requirements of the product and understanding the design constraints in detail will help in conceptualising a better design. Detailed study of data such as material requirements, manufacturing processes, and budget constraints will allow the designer to model the product accordingly.

Using the right CAD software

With the advancement of technology, the availability of software has increased tenfold. There are a variety of CAD software packages available to choose from, each with its benefits and weaknesses. Identify from the heap the right software that is the best fit for your product.

Developing an accurate 3D model

The model should represent the accurate physical dimensions, materials, and other features of the product to harness the complete benefits of a 3D CAD drawing. Minor details such as holes, threads, and slots, should be included in the model for a complete virtual experience.

Simulate product’s performance with 3D CAD

3D CAD can be used to simulate a product’s performance in various ways such as fluid flow analysis, stress analysis, and thermal analysis. This process will facilitate the identification of potential issues with the product design and execute necessary alterations before product manufacture.

Generate realistic renders and animations of the product

Photorealistic renders and animations help in better product marketing. The realistic digital graphics help in communicating the design intent in a detailed and elaborate manner.

Generate manufacturing data, 3D CAD

The 3D drawing also supports generating the manufacturing data that can be used to create models, tooling, and other manufacturing fixtures. The assembly and operation of the product also require detailed instructions that can be entailed using this data.

[edit] Conclusion

3D CAD drawings portray a detailed view of a product in a three-dimensional space with all possible perspectives. It makes the production process more convenient and efficient. Drawings developed with 3D CAD can be the key to developing robust product designs. It can be opted by product manufacturers as a significant tool to push the boundaries of product design and tread the path of innovation.