Designer or not, chances are you may have heard of CAD. Technology has evolved so much over the past decade that it has shaped the way we do things, such as designing products. How exactly have CAD solutions shaped the way product designing is made? Here we will take a closer look at how CAD has helped revolutionize product design. 

All about CAD

CAD stands for computer-aided design and is a computer software used to help in drafting, drawing ideas, solving design problems, and communicating solutions in product design. Many professionals, particularly architects, engineers, and draftsmen benefit the most from CAD and it is applied across many fields particularly in engineering whether it be mechanical or electrical. 

CAD was first commercially available during the 1960s, but it only became accessible to many when the software package AutoCAD was created in 1982. Since then, it has paved the way CAD has been used today from the use of 3D designs to the different enhancements to further better the software. 

CAD in product design

Product design is a common application of CAD and is an integral part for any manufacturer before the final product gets made. The product design step itself involves numerous stages from product conception, product creation, and the product design phase.

Before CAD, these designs were normally hand-drawn into 2D drawings by draftsmen in order to give the manufacturers a clearer picture of what the product would look like. Because the product design process needs to help manufacturers see any problems there may be before actually making the product, CAD drafting has made it really efficient in helping streamline this process. 

CAD’s impact on product design

Accurate information — Because CAD leverages computer technology, it can make the designs of the engineers both precise and accurate. CAD makes use of vector images which are made of objects defined by mathematical coordinates, lending to its precision over the manual drawings. This makes it easy to scale drawings up or down while maintaining the quality and accuracy of their design. 

Faster production, higher quality — Just as how computers can make any process easier, CAD allows designers to work faster and be more productive. It can help lessen the cost of designing products and hiring more designers to work on the project. Product development relies a lot on the product design phase so making it more efficient while keeping its quality can benefit the whole project as a whole. 

Easier customization — While in the old days designers would have to start over and retrace old drawings, CAD allows them to make edits and customizations that they need and help designers to remodel their work more easily. Whether the edit can be minuscule or a major rework, CAD comes with easy functions such as “undo” which lets designers make edits knowing their work is safe. 

Benefits of technological advancements — CAD is still evolving today with the different advancements also present in other technologies. 3D models can be done in CAD which opens up more possibilities that 2D cannot show. 3D printing has also been a new trend and CAD can benefit from this, allowing for quick prototypes to be made. The same can be said with VR or virtual reality which has been taking technology by storm, allowing CAD designers to design using VR technology that they can touch and manipulate as if it were real. 

It’s clear to see the many benefits that CAD has brought to product design. Outsource CAD design and drafting services with an experienced and trusted partner like USCADD. USCADD offers affordable CAD solutions for your next manufacturing and design projects. Schedule a consultation with us to see how we can help your next project. 

Established in 2005, USCADD specializes in a variety of CAD solutions including CAD drafting services of fire alarm systems and other extra-low voltage systems or auxiliary systems such as mass notification, public address systems, CCTV, nurse call, access control, and intrusion systems. Contact us to see what we can do for you today!