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For many businesses and inventors, 3D CAD modeling is essential in product development. While modern software has made it more accessible than ever for anyone with creative innovation to visualize it, in terms of bringing a product idea from CAD to prototype or manufacture, the CAD tool is only as good as the experience of the designer. A skilled design engineer brings expertise in engineering for manufacturing, tolerance stacking, and material properties —factors that are critical to ensure a design translates effectively from the virtual world of CAD to physical reality. Let’s jump in a bit more about these factors that make hiring professional CAD services the smart decision.

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Sound engineering principles are based on knowing how to calculate an outcome to reduce the risk of countless iterative “learning experiences”. Usually, this is done through successful theoretical physics modeling within known real-world physical constraints, and of course, researching the past “learning experiences” of previous engineering endeavors!

Though human experience has been attuned to making things by hand. Modern manufacturing requires CAD design engineers who are well-versed in Design for Manufacturing (DFM), ensuring that the model is optimized for the selected production method. This includes considerations like draft angles required for injection molded parts, fillets to reduce stress concentrations, and appropriate wall thicknesses to prevent material defects. Without this expertise, a DIY design may require extensive revisions and modifications before it can be manufactured at scale.

This engineering skill set is a front-loaded feature in a professional CAD service provider who can create optimized, production-ready models far more efficiently than someone untrained and still learning. Using professional CAD services saves time for the creative innovator to focus on their own core competencies, whether it’s marketing, sales, operations, or working their daily nine-to-five to support the project.

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One of the most overlooked aspects of 3D modeling is the real-world impact of stacked tolerances. CAD software makes it easy to create visually appealing models, but it does not inherently account for the manufacturing realities of those designs.

In practical engineering, every part has manufacturing tolerances—small allowable variations in dimensions that occur during production. In CAD everything can fit geometrically perfectly. However, when it comes to the variable ‘imperfections’ of the real world, geometric perfection can be extremely problematic. When multiple parts come together, their small real-world geometric variations stack up, potentially causing fitment issues that can lead to functional failures. Professional CAD designers are trained to manage these tolerances, ensuring that the final product assembles correctly and performs as intended.

For example, a professional CAD engineer would know that a metal part from a sand casting will have a propensity to shrink as it cools. Understanding the characterization of how a part will shrink based on several physical factors will enable appropriate steps in CAD to account for this. While the CAD model may seem larger and not fit geometrically perfectly in the virtual assembly, in the real world, after the part has shrunk it would fit. Knowing how to calculate this in a CAD assembly with multiple interlocking components allows for a slight deviation in all part dimensions to make the entire system workable. A seasoned CAD expert will anticipate fitment issues by applying Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) principles to control variations and lower the risk of costly rework from manufacturing defects.

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Designing a part in a digital environment can be extremely fun and satisfying, however, many DIYers don’t have enough materials knowledge to make a part out of the appropriate materials for optimal performance under operational stress. Materials behave differently in the real world compared to their idealized digital representations. Factors such as thermal expansion, stress concentration, and fatigue must be considered when designing a functional product.

For example, a 3D model of a plastic enclosure may look perfect on screen, but if wall thickness is not properly calculated, the final part may warp during injection molding due to uneven cooling rates. A metal component that appears structurally sound in CAD might fail due to unforeseen stress points when subjected to real-world forces. Professional CAD design engineers understand these material limitations and can optimize a model appropriately, reducing the likelihood of failure and costly prototyping iterations. 

To achieve this, a CAD professional’s toolbox may have high-end analysis software that goes beyond geometric modeling. These powerful applications feature computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) which can predict stress points, fluid behaviors within geometries, and thermal properties, providing invaluable insights before a prototype is even built. In the right hands, the results of these analyses will influence choices in the type of materials and their dimensions to drastically reduce risk in real-world performance. 

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We have a team of engineers fluent in using CAD as an extension of their trade. CAD work is an integral part of what we do at Kickr Design, and we leverage it completely to interface with fabricators and manufacturers to service your design needs. 

As professional manufacturing CAD software has become more accessible to the consumer market, we understand mastering the intricacies of practical engineering, tolerance stacking, and material properties is not for everyone. Whether you know nothing about CAD or know enough to get as far as you can but need help bringing your CAD assembly over the manufacturability finish line, we can help. Contact us today for help with CAD!

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