CAD designs, including both 3D models and 2D plans, are protected by various forms of intellectual property (IP) laws. The protections range widely from trademarks and copyrights to inventions protected by patent laws, protected designs, and internationally agreed trade rules for…
The fields of design, engineering, construction, and manufacturing often bring together multiple players, including designers, engineers, contractors and subcontractors, suppliers, and clients. Each individual plays a crucial role in achieving project goals and must stay aligned with the team. To be…
Solid Edge originated in the mid-1990s, with the first version released in 1996. Over time, this 2D and 3D modeling software has made its mark by consistently evolving and expanding its features. Today, the software falls in the mid-range category, meaning…
As PwC observed in a May 2024 study, the manufacturing industry is noticeably shifting. Today, a growing number of customers prefer tailored and customized products. To accommodate this change in consumer preferences, manufacturers have had to transition from the mass production…
ISO 9000:2015 defines quality as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics and features of a product fulfills a stated or implied need, expectation, or requirement. During the creation of a product or construction of a structure, plenty of…
Traditionally, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) were responsible for creating all design and engineering data and manufacturing products using that data; but not anymore. Today, more and more OEMs have passed most of these roles to suppliers, adopting what is known as…
Compliance indicates that a product or service meets the requirements of a relevant regulation or specification. It is an indicator of the attainment of quality. Indeed, compliance cannot exist without regulations or specifications because it would not make sense to claim…
According to the Springer Handbook of Automation, automation has existed since prehistory and has been evolving for centuries. Over the years since, process autonomy, decision-making autonomy, and automatic control have evolved across three generations to what it is today. The first…
While the general population often uses 3D printing (3DP) and additive manufacturing interchangeably, this should not be the case. To most people, 3DP mostly conjures up the image of a manufacturing machine, like a desktop printer or copier, that uses digital…
The evolution of the CAD space, coupled with the development of powerful CAD software, has transformed various industries. Gone are the days when engineers and designers had to use paper-based media to represent their 2D and 3D creations. Today, professionals use…
Companies are increasingly embracing digital transformation to enhance organizational and technical performance, scheduling efficiency, and the cost-effectiveness and execution of programs. Usually, such companies can choose one approach from a few alternatives. They can adopt the concept of digital twins. Digital…
There are several ways of integrating the real world into the digital world. These include digital twins, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). However, these methods are implemented differently, albeit tied by a common thread: computer-aided design….
Traditional product design systems have largely used sequential design processes, a sharp contrast to collaborative CAD software that use concurrent design processes. These systems break down a design task into smaller tasks that are sequentially executed following a predefined way of…
Prototyping is a centuries-old concept, while virtual prototyping is a relatively new development. Centuries ago, inventors and designers created miniature, physical representations of products they wished to create to assess the suitability of their designs. This process was time-consuming and often…
Creating 3D CAD models is a perfect way to discover the ins and outs of any part or assembly. It is also an ideal avenue to learn about – and hone skills in – how to use some of the features…
The selection of architectural CAD software is vast and varied. Given that each option has distinct characteristics, finding the best architecture program can be challenging. Fortunately, we intend to simplify the decision-making process by helping you narrow down the extensive list. …
Converting tens, hundreds, or even thousands of PDFs to DXF one by one is a laborious task. It is also equally inefficient, as you spend a lot of time and energy you would otherwise use on other less repetitive or more…
The world over, industries recognize the importance of standardization. Correspondingly, today, there are thousands of standards, authored and approved on an industry-wide basis or developed by individual organizations. The wave of standardization has not missed the computer-aided design (CAD) space. Here,…
It can be tempting to think that computer-aided design (CAD) and building information modeling (BIM) are the same. However, they are not, and they should not be used interchangeably.. CAD and BIM are distinct philosophies that emerged at different times in…
Cloud-based computer-aided design (CAD) solutions are not news. For more than two decades, developers have introduced innovations that have revolutionized the sector. Previously, CAD software was primarily used on-premise. That meant that the applications had to be installed locally and ran…
