CAD, CAD Technology, dynamic modeling, CAD modeling

How CAD Technology benefits from Dynamic Modeling

Alexander Pope, in the 17th century, coined the phrase “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”. This phrase holds true in many cases, because a small amount of knowledge could lead to overconfidence. An overconfident person is likely to make decisions hastily without taking all facts into account.

What does this phrase have to do with Computer Aided Design? A CAD engineer who is trained primarily to use CAD software tools, but who lacks sound theoretical training, fits this phrase in many respects. Such a CAD engineer who has successfully solved many routine design problems with CAD tools could become overconfident in his/her design skills.

The time will come when this overconfident engineer, who lacks adequate theoretical training, models a non-routine problem incorrectly and misinterprets the results. Consequently, an incorrect design for a product is implemented. Unless the design error is caught and fixed, the launched product will be an accident waiting to happen. Failure of a poorly-designed product could cost a company a lot of time, money, and loss of reputation.

Many CAD and engineering organizations are aware of such dangers, and they include Dynamic Modeling into their product design cycles. Doing so provides “checks and balances” before a design materializes into a product.

This article examines the roles that Dynamic Modeling plays in CAD-driven product design.

Specifically, the article tries to answer these questions:

  • What is Dynamic Modeling, and is it needed for all product designs?
  • Are all CAD engineers qualified to perform CAD enabled dynamic modeling?
  • What are the benefits of Dynamic Modeling?
  • How is Dynamic Modeling being used?

What Is Dynamic Modeling and Is It Needed for all Product Designs?

Dynamic modeling simulates the behavior of an object over time. In engineering, dynamic models are described in terms of causal loops or feedback and control systems.

The causal loop captures the structural makeup or components that comprise a complex system or product, and the interactions between them. Computer models are built to simulate how the system responds to time-varying states and external loads, and how the system responds over time.

Dynamic modeling is not restricted to time-variant behavior of physical structures, but it is also used for artificial intelligence, economics, psychology, political science, and many other disciplines.

Not all products require dynamic modeling. For example, stationary objects such as statues are not subjected often to time varying externals loads such as wind forces or earthquakes. Therefore, static models suffice for determining their structural integrity.

Examples of good candidates for dynamic modeling are:

  • Bridges, which experience variable loadings, wind forces, and perhaps earthquakes.
  • Offshore oil production platforms, which are subjected to ocean waves, wind, and current loadings.
  • Automobiles, which are subjected to shock loadings and aerodynamic forces.
  • Buildings and structures in earthquake-prone areas, because they endure seismic loadings. 

Are all CAD Engineers Qualified to Perform CAD Enabled Modeling?

Not all CAD engineers have the skills to perform dynamic modeling adequately. CAD software tools which provide its capabilities will incorporate them as FEA, CFD, and other software packages. The CAD engineer who has not taken advanced courses in Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Feedback and Control Systems, Vibration Analysis, Random Mechanics, and similar courses may lack sufficient theoretical skills to adequately model and interpret non-routine design problems with CAD software.

Dynamic modeling which is performed incorrectly could produce design errors with disastrous consequences, if the errors:

  • Are not detected and corrected by peers,
  • Are not detected during design reviews,
  • Are not detected during the prototyping and testing phase.

Once a poorly designed product is launched, the consequences could mean applying fixes in the field, having a product recall, or withdrawing a product. None of these options is desirable, because it creates customer dissatisfaction, possible lawsuits, loss of income, and loss of reputation.

What are the Benefits of Dynamic Modeling?

If properly performed, Dynamic Modeling can reveal design flaws that may not show up readily during the prototyping and testing phases of the product design cycle.

Unique benefits that dynamic modeling provides include:

  • Identifying interactions between subsystems of a complex product which may be too expensive to create during physical prototyping and testing,
  • Identifying potential failure modes which should be tested in physical prototypes, before hard tooling,
  • Simulating dynamic loadings which may be difficult to create during actual testing,
  • Identifying functional limitations on the use of a product.

Although some complex systems may be difficult to model accurately, it provides extra product performance data from virtual prototypes. Testing and validation of data obtained from virtual prototypes within physical prototypes should create a robust and reliable design.

How is Dynamic Modeling being used?

A few examples should clarify the benefits that Dynamic Modeling brings to CAD design work.

  • Engineers at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) are building a horizontal smokestack computer model called the Scale-Model Smokestack Simulator. The Dynamic Model will predict the amount of carbon dioxide coming out of smokestacks with 1% accuracy, compared with current measurement accuracy of 10 to 20%. This Dynamic Model will make it easier to address the problem of CO2 emissions which the EPA is concerned about.
  • The University of Le Havre uses Dynamic Modeling to efficiently calculate optimized mold measurements for a ship hull.
  • SolidWorks provides modeling software within their CAD offerings for all types of industrial robot movements. The software also translates code from one robot to another, and can import models from major CAD systems.
  • It is being used extensively to study the impact of Self Driving vehicles on traffic flow.

Conclusions

When it is used effectively and correctly, creates virtual product prototypes that can identify failure modes and functional limitations of a design at an early stage.

When dynamic modeling is used together with Additive Manufacturing (or 3D printing) for physical product prototyping, the design cycle could be significantly shortened. Consequently, reliable and cost effective products will be launched, and the cost saving will benefit both the product manufacturer and the consumer.

Australian Design & Drafting Services provide excellent service for CAD Design and  Drafting. Contact Us for more info

3D printing, music industry, music storage, computer-aided design

How Music Industry impacted by 3D Printing?

Digital preservation of works for books, and arts, were stored while talking about music, pictures and movies. One advantage of storing information in digitised format is it transports electronically. It comes with backup copies for data placed in many remote locations. Another benefit it includes is the fidelity of the information preserved indefinitely.Unfortunately, it’s likely to provide significant amounts of movies, music, and works of art that are lost forever. It comes with using reliable methods for preserving music that wasn’t available previously. For example, much music is stored on wax discs played on phonographs or other old movies. However, original recordings come with digitised, natural degradation of wax recordings and tapes made with large amounts of music and films unrecoverable. Though old movies and music are digitally remastered, using true fidelity of the multimedia data that are lost quickly.

Works of art come with longevity and are preserved in several forms. Some artifacts remain as carvings on stone and wood, some artifacts remain as statues, and some artifacts remain as stylus-based ink recordings on papyri, scrolls, paper, and other media. Except for stone carvings and statues, which could be considered to a reasonable extent as naturally non-destructible, recordings on wood-based products such as papyri, scrolls and paper degrade quickly in high humidity environments. Recordings on wood-based media need low humidity or vacuum storage conditions to survive over long periods.

Using lost objects for cultural and historical value forever takes natural or artificial disasters. It needs to preserve musical data that asks, “How does 3D printing impact the music industry?” To answer this query, it helps to address the topics like:

  • What methods to use historically to store music?
  • What modern methods are utilised for storing music?
  • How useful is it to support 3D Printing for the music industry?

WHAT METHODS HAVE BEEN USED HISTORICALLY WITH STORE MUSIC?

It’s a traditional method used to store music that relies on writing music on sheets of paper. Let’s say classical orchestral works by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and others are published as sheet music.

The method used to store music cannot offer good longevity and permanence using a medium for storing music over time and storing music that can easily be lost due to fire or floods.

It adds improvements with storing music that utilise an audio format together with physical recording media.

Over the last 100 years, musical storage relies on the below methods:

A few years ago, audio data came in the form of sound waves that transcribe to glass, paper, and wax cylinders as mechanical analog signals recorded as lateral grooves. Also, the stylus motion adds grooves used to render the recorded audio data. The products in this era cover the Edison phonograph, the Dictaphone and the phonograph disk.

1900 and 1948 came with many improvements that utilized magnetization and electrical amplification for analog signals with high fidelity audio. The products cover magnetic tape, audio cassettes, and vinyl phonograph discs.

They are moving on with 1948 and 1970, the powerful audio signal process techniques that utilised Dolby noise reduction covering stereophonic rendition. The products in this era come with 4-track and 8-track stereo, the microcassette, minicassette and compact cassette.

After 1970, the digital processing tech used advanced products that utilise audio formats, including MPEG, MLP, and other audio formats found in products that provide CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, and various Blu-ray technology.

WHAT MODERN METHODS ARE UTILISED FOR STORING MUSIC?

The music library grows at an alarming rate, where the compression methods develop to store the volume of audio data used in the cloud by making it available to users and using them as web streaming technology.

Well-known competitors in this audio storage and streaming marketplace include the following:

Apple’s iTunes stores over 43 million songs using downloaded on iPad, iPhones, iPods or other Apple-based products. The audio formats offer Apple style, adding conversion software that primarily uses services that do not use web streaming.

The Amazon Cloud Player uses services that are similar to Apple iTunes. It uses Amazon Player that utilises a compression than iTunes. Being lossy means the original music that’s not rendered with true fidelity. The portions of the audio signal dropped when rendering so that the human ear cannot easily detect the difference between the actual and rendered sound.

Google Play Music offers free access to over 30 million songs. The services are free and are considered a bargain compared with the other paid services. Both Google and Amazon services utilise web streaming with ease.

HOW USEFUL IS 3D PRINTING FOR THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

A fantastic benefit includes 3D Printing, which brings musical recordings stored in digital format recalled and reprinted at will. For sentimental reasons, some people like to play music available on phonographs. Using 3D Printing, both old and modern music can be stored in digital form, retrieving 3D printed used on improved durable media. More sophisticated materials are available for 3D printers, and high-quality audio recordings are used to get outstanding audio fidelity and rendition. Apart from this printing musical recordings, the 3D printers are used primarily to print musical instruments like drums, guitars, pianos and saxophones. The list covers musical instruments that grow as 3D printing materials like:

To summarise, 3D Printing makes it possible to:

  • Store music digitally with reproduce it faithfully
  • Print a variety of musical instruments.

We at Australian Design & Drafting Services company offer excellent service used for 3D Printing and Prototype Design. Contact Us to get more information.

Solidworks Cad Data management

Solidworks Cad Data Management

It is no secret that managing Gigabytes of CAD data can be tough. Especially if you’re a new comer to a company that contains years of legacy data, you’ll probably be spending at least 2 hours a day on non-essential task, which is sorting out your files.

What’s more, every department in a company (or dare I say every employee in a company), has their own way of sorting their files. Yes, a company may enforce a rule that any files checked into the server of the company follows a certain nomenclature, but who is going to enforce it?

Poor Data Management leads to many issues such as:

  • Poor Decisions based on faulty or poor information
  • Duplicated efforts because one users did not know that the work he is doing was already done by someone else and it was in the company’s data storage
  • Lost of sales because customer’s cant get the information in time and leaves in frustration
  • Lost of productivity as employees disturbs other employees for data that is already there but can’t find them

This is where a data management needs to be more than just a security center. It needs to be an intelligent vault. Introducing an intelligent PDM system, called SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management (PDM).

Nothing screams horror than sifting through an assembly with 1000s of parts just so that you pull it out replace with another. Another concern would also be to pinpoint where a particular standard part is used (Important if you need to replace a part thought to be standard with a revised version).

The default Microsoft search function may not be able to help you find you the parts you want as search function are based on how the OS indexes the files. With SOLIDWORKS PDM, all your CAD files are promptly indexed to make the search function more powerful and accurate. With the ability to give you where the files has been used and the history of the file, you can quickly and efficiently get the information you need!

If you are in an organisation whereby a few engineers work on a same project, you would most likely fall in the trap of working on a file in which someone else is working on at the same time. At the end of the day when it comes to putting it all together, nothing fits! Back to the drawing board….

Solidworks Cad Data Management

PDM controls the flow of all the documents, making sure each users knows the status of the file. If one person is working on a file, others may still view it, but not work on it until the initial user is done. Think of PDM as your friendly traffic police, making sure the flow of documents keeps moving without a hiccup.

Sometimes when a particular step goes idle, due to:

  1. Awaiting confirmation on the green light
  2. Awaiting confirmation that a correction is needed
  3. Awaiting for other departments to make a move

The user may also forget about his/her own movement in the project, and they are not aware of the status of the steps mentioned above.

With PDM, the process workflow defined in the PDM system keeps you updated about what steps are currently in progress and who is in charge. Built in is also the Notification Capability, which reminds the person-in-charge to keep the process going, so that no time is wasted!

The biggest concern about any data management solution is whether:

  1. Is it easy to manage?
  2. Do I need to hire an IT person to constantly look over it?

Be assured that the PDM solution will keep your data safe, organised and compliant.

One of the biggest roadblocks to adopting a data management systems is the fear that users may not get used to the system, which locks them out from the pool of data. Well that is not the case with PDM. With its tight integration with Windows, accessing files is as easy as using Windows explorer, opening folders to access the files. With its structured way of checking in/out of files, you will be assured that any files being opened or entered the vault is following company protocol.

It’s a step-by-step method which keeps all your files organised and populated with essential date.

File history is always difficult to track unless the right discipline is instilled in the user. By default, most users when it comes to editing an old file will just save the new version over it, completely destroying the older version of the file. What happens is that:

  • Nobody knows what changes were made
  • Nobody knows who made the changes
  • And if the new version is not acceptable and need to revert back, its not possible! (Time wasted in recreating the old version)

So why not let PDM do that with you? It keeps track of the entire history of your files, AUTOMATICALLY! Let engineers do the designing, and PDM on the file management.

SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM includes:

> File management: centralised file vaulting capabilities to manage and control electronic intellectual property and product design data

> Revision management: track changes, maintain a complete revision history of a design’s evolution, and avoid the errors of manual approaches

> Bill of materials (BOM) management: a range of tools for making BOM information management more efficient, enabling you to export BOM data in multiple ways to use in downstream applications and systems

> Distributed collaboration: keep people connected, up to date, and working on the same set of data, regardless of their location

> Regulatory compliance: helps you comply with government regulatory requirements or industry standards for controlled development processes and product documentation

> Design reuse: create a framework for quickly locating and reusing or repurposing existing design data

> Engineering change management: significantly reduce the time needed to complete your design approval and engineering change order (ECO) processes with the automated electronic workflow system

> Secure file vaulting: securely control access to sensitive or proprietary product information

> Enterprise scalability: easily connect the design data needs of your entire enterprise, whether for just a few users in a single location or hundreds of contributors working in multiple locations around the world

If you would like to know more about PDM, CAD Data Management please feel free to contact us at +61 731 493 547 or email info@astcad.com.au, and our EPDM experts would be happy to help!

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2d drafting services

Opt for affordable 2D drafting services

We are one of the best Australian Design & Drafting service companies that offer a cutting-edge 2D drafting solution. Without investing in expensive technology or going through any tedious recruitment headaches. If you’re looking for the importance of effective 2D drafting, then we offer various types of 2D drafting services. Additionally, there are numerous advantages provided by Australian Design & Drafting that comes with outsourcing.

Suppose you’re a firm that looks to draw out a design for a home, office, restaurant or any other type of building. Additionally, users can add a critical role that uses 2D drafting, offering a successful outcome.

We provide 2D drafting that uses one step that cannot be affordable to skip. It comes through encountering the problems when designing your building. Additionally, 2D drafting requires skills, time, and expertise. With outsourcing, one should not worry about doing 2D drafting. Users can outsource 2D drafting by adding Australian Design & Drafting service company. Now get big by saving time, effort and cost.

2D drafting services offered:

No matter what type of design plan users want, they can avail effective 2D drafting plan. It outsources Australian Design & Drafting services by offering the best mechanical engineers. 2D drafters come with their skills and knowledge to deliver cutting-edge 2D drafting services for your building. Users can avail of 2D drafting services for below following services:

  • Architectural drawings
  • Preliminary drawings
  • Millwork drawings
  • Structural design drawings
  • Engineering (MEP) drawings
  • Construction or working drawings
  • Assembly drawings
  • Shop drawings
  • Manufacturing drawings
  • Fabrication drawings
  • Presentation drawings
  • Machine drawings
  • Structural steel detailing

What makes Australian Design & Drafting the best place for 2D drafting?

Here’s why the Australian Design & Drafting company use Australia’s preferred location for 2D drafting:

  1. Use Latest 2D drafting software and tools: Australian Design & Drafting comes with the latest 2D drafting tools and software. It includes Autodesk, AutoCAD®, MicroStation®, SolidWorks®, Staad Pro®, Ansys®, 3DS Max®, VRay, Unigraphics/NX, X-Steel, Revit®, ProE®, CATIA®, ® Inventor® and to create world-class 2D drafts.
  1. Skilled 2D drafters: Outsource 2D drafting with the Australian Design & Drafting service company, and offer access to a professional team of drafters and engineers. It collaborates with the company, understanding the needs and offering satisfactory 2D drafting solutions.

We offer a 2D drafting solution with preliminary drawings, architectural drawings, and other structural drawings. Develop a firm base for using design plans.

  1. 2D drafting in CAD: We at Australian Design & Drafting comes with extensive knowledge of conducting 2D drafting in CAD, along with exact scaling and specifications added by you.
  2. Huge cost savings: By outsourcing, one can cut down current costs by 50%. It provides access to drawn 2D drafts that meet your expectations.

Outsource 2D drafting with Australian Design & Drafting services from payroll, mundane recruitment, and infrastructure-related hassles. If you want to outsource today, then 2D drafting service prefer to start with? If you are looking to outsource 2D drafting? If you have any queries on outsourcing or want to express your views. We at Australian Design & Drafting would be happy to serve you the best.

Opt for affordable 2D drafting services

The solution is simple. All you have to do is outsource to Australian Design & Drafting and you can avail a cutting edge 2D drafting solution, without having to invest in expensive technology or going through tedious recruitment headaches.  Read on to find out more about the importance of effective 2D drafting, the varied types of 2D drafting services offered by Australian Design & Drafting and the numerous benefits that comes with outsourcing.

If your firm is drawing out a design for an office, home, restaurant or any other type of building, then you would definitely be aware of the critical role that 2D drafting plays in the successful outcome of a building. 2D drafting is one step that you cannot afford to skip, even though you may encounter other problems when designing your building. Moreover, 2D drafting also requires time, skill and expertise. With outsourcing, you need not worry about doing 2D drafting anymore. You can simply outsource 2D drafting to Australian Design & Drafting and enjoy big savings on cost, time and effort.

2D drafting services offered :

No matter what type of design plan you want, you can avail an effective 2D drafting plan by outsourcing to Australian Design & Drafting. We have best mechanical engineers and 2D drafters who can put their skills and knowledge to deliver a cutting-edge 2D draft for your building. You can avail 2D drafting services for any one of the following:

  • Architectural drawings
  • Preliminary drawings
  • Millwork drawings
  • Assembly drawings
  • Shop drawings
  • Structural design drawings
  • Engineering (MEP) drawings
  • Presentation drawings
  • Machine drawings
  • Manufacturing drawings
  • Fabrication drawings
  • Structural steel detailing
  • Construction or working drawings

What makes Australian Design & Drafting a hot destination for 2D drafting?

Here’s why Australian Design & Drafting is the Australia’s preferred location for 2D drafting:

1. Latest 2D drafting software and tools: Australian Design & Drafting employ the very latest in 2D drafting tools and software, such as, AutoCAD®, MicroStation®, SolidWorks®, Staad Pro®, Ansys®, 3DS Max®, VRay, X-Steel, Revit®, ProE®, CATIA®, Autodesk® Inventor® and Unigraphics/NX to create world-class 2D drafts.

2. Skilled 2D drafters: Outsourcing 2D drafting to Australian Design & Drafting can give you access to a dedicated team of drafters and engineers who will collaborate with your company, understand your needs and provide you with a satisfactory 2D drafting solution. With a 2D drafting solution for your preliminary drawing, architectural drawing or structural drawing, you can develop a firm base for your design plans.

3. 2D drafting in CAD: Australian Design & Drafting  have an extensive knowledge of conducting 2D drafting in CAD, as per the exact scaling and specifications given by you.

4. Huge cost savings: By outsourcing, you can cut down on your current cost by a whopping 50% while getting access to professionally drawn 2D drafts that meet your expectations.

Outsource 2D drafting to Australian Design & Drafting today and experience freedom from mundane recruitment, payroll or infrastructure related hassles.

If you were to outsource today, which 2D drafting service would you prefer to start with? Have you outsourced 2D drafting before? If yes, how did it go? If you have a question on outsourcing or want to express your views, just leave a comment in the box below. We, at Australian Design & Drafting love to hear from you!

future of 3d design

Future of 3D Design Microsoft's HoloLens

In recent times, TV shows have been so inspiring that they made me think about how the future is shaped by adding new technology. Once we realise that, it won't be science fiction anymore, but it will be reality. The entire generation expects certain things from future technology.

Additionally, the movies feature pieces of imaginary technology that later become a reality. It comes with a compact communications device, face-to-face voice chat, and other voice recognition. It uses a few concepts that mostly appear on the show in the real world. Talking about Holograms, it's another instance of a technology that appeared in the movie and uses one piece of tech. The companies are continuously trying hard to develop a better design.

Microsoft Hololens

Oculus Rift and other augmented reality combined with Google Glass are the closest to bringing holograms into the world.Moving on, Microsoft's Kinect developed a new platform that brings a simulated reality into both the workplace and living rooms. This new system is called HoloLens, which takes the shape of a pair of goggles rather than a holo suite. Unlike Oculus Rift, HoloLens does not attempt to trick your brain into thinking it's someplace else. At the same time, it uses augmented reality (AR) to overlay holograms into your everyday space.

To use it every day, we add holograms everyone uses, from mechanics to brain surgeons. Some teachers find numerous ways to leverage holographic technology at every level of education. No doubt, there is an entertainment industry that might discover ways to use the technology for video games. We know it's cool, but 3D printing is a king. What do you think about why we care about the HoloLens? HoloLens comes with new opportunities for 3D design. It sketches 3D images on a 2D surface with the HoloLens, designers, and engineers that design and develop using 3D parts in 3D.

Microsoft realises how much potential it needs to design the new platform. It includes instances for 3D design, including demos and other video marketing. One shouldn't be surprised if the HoloLens shipped with 3D design software comes with haptic feedback tools. Users can add a pair of haptic gloves that suddenly comes with the ability to mould new parts, including a 3D mouse or stylus.

The Possibilities of HoloLens for Engineering Design

Design

The design of HoloLens is inspiring. Also, the design engineers will go beyond traditional 3D monitors that are controlled via mouse or touch. It gives immersive 3D in the real world that uses gestures and voice. Holograms allow to visualise how something would look in the physical world. It can benefit of 3D editing and authoring capabilities, mimicking how you would interact with something in real life.

We create a physical mock-up or prototype just by using foam, clay and various other mediums for modelling. This is what we design with HoloLens. It comes with more tools and fewer constraints, adding it to the real world. One can share it with all holograms by collaborating it remotely. Users can even turn them into physical objects and HoloStudio's 3D print compatibility.

Fix

To think about all the possibilities, one needs to find the field service and repair the products and machines. Withstanding next to an aircraft or vehicle, users can have digital instructions pinned as holograms. The 3D animation within the actual physical context available right in front of you brings remote colleagues or advisors along with HoloNotes on Skype. It allows them to see the environment from their tablet to troubleshoot and collaborate on a repair on the spot. The user has to draw instructions that appear as animations and helps through walk a new process.

Simulate

It comes with new ways to learn the powerful capability of HoloLens. In both field and design service training scenarios, users can learn, visualise and examine in 3D. Additionally, one can understand how a product works in the actual environment. It's a different inspection performed on a product or individual tests that meet the product with safety standards. Moreover, it simulates an unsafe environment that practices what you'd do in that situation.

For additional information about professional CAD drafting services, connect to Australian Design and Drafting Services company. Call on 1800 287 223 or 07 3149 3547 today and discuss your requirements.

 

Australian Design and drafting Services Electrical CAD Drafting In Construction Field

Electrical CAD Drafting In Construction Field

CAD plays a vital role in understanding the plan for the electrical fittings and creating CAD drawings. Before CAD machines were found, the construction field needed architects that could elaborate with detailed drawings on a sheet of paper. There were many problems with the process. Not only is it fallacies drawing, but it pins down all the details by taking care of the different views and angles that come with particularly complex.

However, using electrical CAD drafting services makes it easier to handle the construction process. By following a few ways in which electrical CAD drafting turns out handy in construction.

ACCURATE DRAWINGS WHICH CAN BE SCALED

It helps electrical CAD drafting to make the most detailed drawings. CAD software is often packed with a bundle of features. Not only you can change the scale, but you can make smart use of annotations and a few parameters with ensuring that you are making detailed and precise drawings.

With the help of electrical CAD drafting, you can handle the different details without the margin of error. When using CAD software, you will rely on the program for making all the drawings. It reduces the margin error significantly.

ADAPT TO VARIOUS CHANGES

In the construction field, making changes can be tough to visualise. Even when altering a very minute part of the design, you need to visualise how it will impact the rest of the structure. We may often end up missing crucial factors, which will lead to problems in the long run. However, with the support of electrical CAD drafting, you can make edits and modifications.

If there's a need for some change in design, the user can implement it on a CAD drawing. They can analyse how the changes will impact the rest of the design. If there are huge ramifications, one can take another alternative. One needs to make minor changes in CAD software and thereby remodel with finesses.

Hence, when it comes to modifications, the constructions are underway. As it's electrical CAD drafting that turns out to be handy in several ways.

HAVE A BLUEPRINT

It helps electrical CAD drafting with having a blueprint before one puts the plans into action. There are times when it has been seen that architects find it hard to visualise every single thing. However, the Cad software is well designed and finds a three-dimensional look. It helps to get a great deal with making a design feasible and looking good.

Electrical CAD Drafting In Construction Field

Since CAD started using architects, it adds importance that cannot be replaced. This makes it looks like part of the core construction process. The software offered a wide variety of use and made the construction process easier. It's a lot more reliable and less prone to errors.

Raster Image Formats

Raster Image Formats in CAD

It adds many 3D CAD file formats for storing and transmitting data. CAD file formats are classified in terms of two distinct forms. It offers bitmap or raster format and the vector format. The distinction clarifies the two formats by pointing out the critical difference between them.

The raster format adds images in terms of pixels. On a display monitor, the pixels work as dots that carry colour attributes and levels of intensity in RGB. Raster graphics are suitable for photographic images adding resolution-dependent. One does not need to scale higher resolutions without loss of quality. It uses an image that is grainier by adding image details. The vector format represents images as lines, points, curves and polygons on an algebraic grid. The primitives are utilised to create vector-based images. It scales up to any resolution without loss in quality.

Raster Image Formats in CAD

The essential difference between raster and vector-based images covers raster images when scaled higher than the resolution we create. On the other hand, vector images are scaled up or down without any loss in image quality:

  • Popular raster-based formats include JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF.
  • Popular vector-based formats add EPS, PDFor AI, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), WMF (Windows Metafile Format), DXF (Drawing Exchange Format), DRW, and DWG formats.
  • Compound formats come with EPS, PDF, SWF, and PICT and contain pixel and vector-based data.

Raster Image Formats in CAD

It determines whether the raster image format disappears from CAD file systems. This article answers all specific questions:

  • How popular is vector format based on leading CAD vendors?
  • Which CAD file formats come with 3D printing technology?
  • Is any particular CAD file format suited for CAD data exchange?
  • Why raster format remains an essential part of CAD file systems?

HOW POPULAR IS VECTOR FORMAT AMONG LEADING CAD VENDORS?

It offers modern CAD software packages storing design and drawing information in vector format. To confirm this observation, it’s worthwhile to look at CAD formats that lead to CAD vendors, such like:

  • AutoDesk is used as its native file format, supporting DWG, DXF and more.
  • AutoCADuses the DWG and DXF vector formats.

SolidWorks mainly uses a structured format in which different file formats are embedded. The design data are stored in the DXF vector-based formats covering AI, GCR, and STL. It keeps in a structured layout. The structured format also holds raster formatted images.

Many software applications can convert images between the raster and vector formats. It adds significant images that convert CorelDRAW, Easy Trace, WiseImage, Freehand, VP Software, and others. It leads to CAD vendors that convert between raster and vector file formats. 

WHICH CAD FILE FORMATS ARE MOST FAMOUS FOR 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY?

The format used for 3D printing comes with STL (STereoLithography) format. We aren’t sure whether any CAD file format is most suitable for 3D printing. It leads to 3D companies, including Stratasys and 3D Systems, that convert automatically into recognisable CAD files. Further, CAD vendors export their files into STL, including Catia, Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, SolidEdge and ProEngineer.

IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR CAD FILE FORMAT BEST SUITED FOR CAD DATA EXCHANGE?

There is no answer to this question. The CAD file exchange software will have the ability to convert between raster and vector formats. The reason requirement comes with a modern CAD file system. It moves towards a structured file format that works better in which both raster and vector file formats are embedded. The contemporary CAD files contain more drawings and design information. It makes sense to come with different file formats stored within a structure adding minimal information lost during file transmissions.

An excellent example is integrating different data types into a CAD file offered by BIM (Building Information Modelling). BIM helps incorporate activities for parties and disciplines involved in a building project. It comes with a synergistic body that exchanges different information types. With other teams working together on a project, it needs to use different file formats that add information exchange.

Also, the Raster formats need visual displays, virtualisation and animation. It’s vector formats that use design drawings which is scalable. BIM offers a valuable extension on the CAD file format that’s not recognised as a CAD file format. The complexities integrate CAD file formats adding necessary coin a different acronym for a unified file format that does not primarily contain CAD information.

The answer to the question “Is any CAD file format best suited for CAD data exchange?” is no, with qualifications. If the CAD data is exchanged strictly in design drawings, the vector format is best suited for the data exchange. It comes with scalability and without loss of data information. The CAD data is exchanged strictly in pictorial views or animation. Then the raster format, created with a high enough resolution, works best suited for the data exchange. 

WHY WOULD THE RASTER FORMAT REMAIN AN ESSENTIAL PART OF CAD FILE SYSTEMS?

Although raster images not scale up without losing data, they are indispensable for conveying pictorial information and producing animations. The current trend helps store CAD data that leans toward structured file format in which different file formats embed. As each primary CAD format has its right, the raster format undoubtedly remains an essential part of CAD file systems.

Australian Design and drafting Services Mobile CAD Computing 13

Mobile CAD Computing

When the PC (Personal Computer) was introduced in the late 1970s to early 1980s, the computing world witnessed progressive miniaturization of the PC into smartphones, laptops, and tablets that recently added to computerized watches. It comes with the availability of the internet along with cloud computing, which helps reduce computing power on individual computing devices.

Mobile CAD Computing

Additionally, packing computing power in a computing device access the computing power provided by servers, including distributed computing environment. Let’s say a consumer desktop or laptop isn’t suitable to run 3D CAD software. As CAD operations add complex computational procedures, it needs high performance using dedicated processors. Therefore, CAD workstations provide high-performance computational power adding snappy information that exchanges the networks in a cloud-based computing environment. A CAD engineer carries their workstation to meetings, design reviews, and business trips. All it requires is the mobility Mobile CAD Computing device, including:

  • Get performance compares to that of a CAD workstation
  • Get adequate graphics display size and resolution
  • Get a power adapter adding necessary attachments packed into a bag transported over reasonably long walking distances.

The mobile CAD computing device is referred to as a mobile CAD workstation. To get an answer, understand the following questions:

  • What are the capabilities of a typical mobile CAD workstation?
  • What is a mobile CAD workstation that performs well traditional workstation?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of using mobile CAD workstations?
  • What are the capabilities of a typical mobile CAD workstation?

Mobile CAD workstations available from CAD vendors covers high-performance mobile CAD workstation, including attributes:

  • It adds a lightweight, portable workstation that covers low voltage CPU, adding long battery life.
  • It should have a high-performance GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), including a high-resolution graphics display.
  • It uses a high-capacity drive and DVD drive and covers USB ports.
  • It uses an impractical list that adds popular mobile CAD workstations. 

The features add a high-performance mobile CAD workstation. The Lenovo ThinkPad 541 offer a mobile CAD workstation along with providing these features:

  • It comes with 5.57 pounds, uses 1-inch thickness, and comes with 6+ hours of battery life.
  • It primarily uses the 4th generation i7 Extreme CPU and optional NVidia Quadra K2100M GPU. It also comes with 32 MB RAM.
  • It uses 15.6-inch and 2880 x 120 high-resolution displays.
  • It uses 500 GB hard drive storage for improved performance.
  • It uses USB ports and an SD card reader.
  • It provides HDMI video output.
  • How does a mobile cad workstation perform as well as a traditional workstation?

The CAD analysts use the total CAD workstation market that comprises mobile and desktop workstations that continues to grow. Mobile CAD workstations come with the overall market. It adds mobile workstation sales that remain steady with 25% of the total workstation market.

A survey conducted by an industry research firm found that it grows mobile CAD workstations. This interest comes with declining desk-side PCs, consumers-class notebooks and workstations. Also, it finds several mobile CAD workstations that are used primarily for creating and editing CAD drawings. It uses accessing data and CAD drawings. Nevertheless, demands for mobile CAD workstations are expected to show strong growth in the next few years.

Before PCs became popular in the 1980s, most CAD workstations were RISC-based systems such as DEC Alpha, MIPS, PowerPC, and SPARC. Afterwards, CAD workstations used operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux distributions, Apple Mac OS X, and Oracle Solaris. 

The features of a top-end high-performance CAD workstation include the following:

  • High-performance processors from 4 to 18 cores, with base clock, speed up to 3.5 MHz, 2.5 MB core of last level cache, and DDR4 registered DIMM support for up to 32 GB of RAM.
  • Graphics GPU with up to 12 GB of memory as in the NVidiaQuadro K6000 graphics card. A high-performance GPU is necessary for 3D animations and rendering. Investing in a high-performance processor for everyday CAD design work is more productive.
  • Up to 24-inch LED display with a minimum high-level resolution of 1280 x 720. Typically, a top-performance workstation supports multiple displays.
  • SSDs (Solid State Drives) instead of hard drives, or a combination of SSDs and hard drives.
  • It points virtualisedCAD workstations that add a more productive CAD development environment. It relies on cloud computing, adding hardware virtualization. Virtualized workstations add cost-effectiveness in terms of hardware maintenance and upgrade cycles. It comes with a mobile CAD workstation which cannot compete with a top-end CAD workstation in terms of performance. It uses good economic sense by using a mobile workstation in that cloud-based distributed computing environment. It comes in an atmosphere of virtualized workstations.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING MOBILE CAD WORKSTATIONS?

A mobile CAD workstation cannot match the performance of a top-end high-performance desktop CAD workstation. However, interest is growing in mobile CAD workstations, while interest is declining for desk-side PCs, workstations, and consumer-class notebooks. Mobile CAD workstations offer an advantage over unmatched traditional CAD workstations. It’s worthwhile to list a few benefits. Along with a mobile workstation, it offers complimentary performance with a desktop CAD workstation that provides mobility.

Getting a mobile CAD workstation used for project managers and executives comes with a primary interest in viewing, accessing, data and reviewing CAD drawings rather than creating them. The mobile CAD workstation is mainly used in field operations, adding CAD engineers that require to access and view data and CAD drawings.

Australian Design and drafting Services Virtual Prototyping Reality? 12

Virtual Prototyping Reality?

Lot of manufacturing organisations support reducing TTM (Time to Market). It helps to optimise product designs to maximise reality and get optimum performance. A typical product design cycle refers to PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), which comes with phases that include:

  • Tooling Design
  • Conceptual Design
  • Detailed Design and Validation
  • Product Build and Assembly
  • Manufacturing planning and implementation
  • Reliability Testing

It adds essential phases covering the preliminary phases of PLM, which are costly and time-consuming. In a typical PLM, physical prototypes and end products are tested and produced for reality, performance and functionality. It usually takes a lot of design and manufacturing iterations to make acceptable test results before launching the product. Many reasons cover the preliminary phases of PLM that are costly and time-consuming. Virtual Prototyping emerged as a promising method to create virtual rather than physical prototypes. It tests with simulation software that develops into a mature technology that offers tremendous benefits to manufacturing organisations.

  • To understand Virtual Prototyping, answer a few questions given below:
  • How CAD technology included in Virtual Prototyping?
  • To what extent does Virtual Prototyping use?
  • What benefits does Virtual Prototyping offer? 

HOW IS CAD TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING?

The goal of Virtual Prototyping to use engineering simulation software that predicts the performance and reliability of product assemblies manufactured. Virtual Prototyping referred to as Systems Performance Modelling. It predicts the reality and performance that simulates software, adding complex and challenging tasks. To understand how components of a product deform individually under loadings, it deformed the assembly into a product.

It understands how the material properties of parts degrade with product life. The material properties degrade with low to high-temperature changes. It comes with chemical reactions in a corrosive environment. It supports an understanding of the nature of loadings. Let’s say cyclical loadings occur to wind forces, ocean wave forces and earthquakes. A product is subjected to vibrational forces created by neighbouring machinery.

It helps in understanding the manufacturing defects initiated with growth and propagation. It adds failure modes of parts that influence the performance of the entire assembly regarding reliability. Apart from these, it adds factors to be considered, including governmental regulations, manufacturing techniques and environmental issues for building a product. The main CAD-related tools mainly utilised Virtual Prototyping, which covers 3D CAD design and simulation tools, along with CAE analysis. These tools use designing parts that are well-known for static or dynamic loadings. It can perform crash simulations, including finite element analyses.

However, simulating the performance and reliability of an assembled product requires more sophisticated software that integrates the capabilities of these CAD tools. The main goal is Systems Performance Modelling and Virtual Prototyping.

Implementing successful simulation software predicts the reliability and performance of a product, making it possible to examine different design alternatives. It commits to specific product intent. If there’s Virtual Prototyping achievable, it benefits manufacturing organisations with ease. It points to the availability of Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing. It utilised to validate simulation software developed for Virtual Prototyping and more.

TO WHAT EXTENT IS VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING USED?

As Virtual Prototyping sounds, it’s used by specific organisations that make good progress in implementing the technology. It’s worthwhile to look at what’s been accomplished.

Mazda® use a Virtual Prototyping solution named CoMET from Synopsys®. It helps reduce the number of tests on actual automobiles to verify ECUs (Engine Control Units) and HIL (Hardware-in-the-loop) test equipment.

HIL offers simulation techniques that quickly test and develop embedded systems for automotive computer systems. Mazda credits the Virtual Prototyping tool that accelerates ECU development at lowering cost. Another company that benefits from Virtual Prototyping is Ford®.

If we talk about Optitex®, it’s an apparel manufacturer that uses a robust set of virtual fabric simulation software to create, view and edit accurate apparel patterns before putting them on the market. The virtual software offers the company a shorter time to market. It adds improved innovation and customer satisfaction. Let’s say the design parameters include fitting, pulls, buttons, zippers, pleats, buckles, seam finishes, repeats, and more parameters that manipulate a virtual environment. Another apparel manufacturer adds benefitting from virtual Prototyping is Tukatech®.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING PROVIDE?

Although many benefits that Virtual Prototyping provides have been mentioned, it will be used to summarise the most important benefits. Virtual Prototyping performs repeatable tests on a virtualised product under conditions that are difficult to create. Virtual Prototyping performs design modifications on a virtualised product, testing the product and optimised design, which is cost-effective, robust, and reliable.

Virtual Prototyping makes it possible to test and virtualise products against failure modes adding effects, different loadings types, and other operating conditions like low or high temperatures. It’s used for customers who misuse products, adding corrosive environments.

Virtual Prototyping shortens the product design time by making it easy to introduce new products with less time to market. It offers better customer satisfaction by increasing product presence in the market. CAD/CAM software systems are integral to Virtual Prototyping or Systems Modelling software. It adds availability to 3D printing, using certain types of Virtual Prototyping simulation software that validate and develop with 3D-printed models.

Australian Design and drafting Services Driverless Car Cad Design 1

Driverless Car Cad Design

If you think the idea of having driverless cars on the roads seems dangerous and utopian, think again, because the idea is quickly becoming reality. Actually, we have been using certain features of driverless cars for some time. Until recently, automobiles did not have cruise control, automatic and antilock braking, temperature sensors, GPS technology, or road sensing technology. That has all changed.[/fusion_text][fusion_text]The autopilot system for air travel has been available for a long time, and the maturity and reliability of the technology continue to improve. If automatic piloting of complex aircraft in busy airspaces is acceptable, why should driverless cars not be acceptable?

Car Cad Designs

A partial list of technologies required to create driverless cars are the following:

  • Onboard computer technology,
  • Onboard telemetry (radar and laser sensors),
  • Anti-lock and automatic braking systems,
  • Adaptive cruise control,
  • GPS and sensor technology,
  • Traction and stability control,
  • Automatic engine control,
  • Computerized navigational system.

This article focuses on CAD-related technologies which could be involved in building driverless cars. Specifically, the article discusses how the following technologies (which involve CAD design) will affect driverless cars:

  • The role of sensors, GPS technology, and video cameras for driverless cars,
  • Leading players in the development of driverless cars,
  • Benefits which driverless cars will provide,
  • Problems which driverless cars could create.

The role of sensors, GPS technology, and video cameras for driverless cars

The following technologies will help implement driverless car technology while providing collision avoidance and traffic safety:

  • Video cameras will detect traffic lights, read road signs, keep track of neighbouring vehicles, and look out for pedestrians, pets and other obstacles.
  • LIDAR (Laser Illuminating Detection and Ranging) sensors will detect edges of roads and identify lane markings by bouncing light pulses off the car’s surroundings.
  • Ultrasonic non-contact sensors in the wheels will detect the position of curbs and neighbouring vehicles during parking.
  • GPS technology will use the location of the vehicle to determine routing, speed limits and to provide navigational guidance.
  • Onboard telemetry will enable cars to communicate with one another, and with traffic monitoring and control systems.
  • The onboard computer will analyze all monitored and measured data in order to make navigational decisions regarding steering, acceleration or deceleration, and braking.

Leading players in the development of driverless cars

It is not within the scope of this article to list the names and accomplishments of all leading players in driverless car technology. It will suffice to highlight two significant accomplishments.

Israel’s Mobileye® made news recently when its driverless vehicle supplied by Delphi Automotive traversed a 3,000-mile journey from San Francisco to Manhattan in 9 days. Before this accomplishment, the driverless vehicle had been successfully operated in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The driverless vehicle could detect cyclists, debris on the road, curbs, barriers, construction zones, traffic lights, and road signs.
Mobileye expects to offer 237 driverless car models by the end of 2016.
Deals to use the technology have already been made with BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Peugeot, Volvo and Tesla. Truck manufacturers MAN SE, Scania, and IVECO have also made deals to use the technology.
In 2014, Google unveiled the technology named “Google Chauffeur” for piloting autonomous or driverless cars. Google’s technology neither uses a steering wheel nor a brake pedal.
Automotive companies which have signed on to use Google’s technology include Toyota Prius, Audi TT, and Lexus RX450h. Google’s robotic car uses a LIDAR system which generates a detailed local map of its environment. The generated map is combined with high-resolution maps of the world in order to produce data models that the computer uses to pilot the vehicle.
Google’s driverless vehicles have been tested in the San Francisco area, and they have logged about 700,000 miles (1.1 million km) of accident-free driving. Google plans to make its driverless cars publicly available by 2020.

Benefits which driverless cars will provide

In order to enjoy the benefits that driverless cars will provide, it is necessary for legislative bodies to pass or modify traffic laws. In the United States, the District of Columbia and four states have already passed laws that permit the operation of driverless cars. Many other state legislatures are discussing the passage of similar laws.

Predictably, the public will initially be sceptical about operating driverless cars, until the following benefits become evident.

  • There will be a significant reduction in vehicle collisions, injuries caused by automobile accidents, and loss of life. Consequently, the cost of insuring motor vehicles will be lower.
  • There will be less need for individual driving licenses and driving skills.
  • Senior citizens, teenagers, and handicapped people will have the mobility that they do not now have.
  • A businessman or woman could work or play (read the newspaper or a book, watch TV, eat or drink) instead of focusing on driving to work. The need for police officers to arrest motorists for DUI, which is a leading cause of traffic deaths, will be gone.
  • Law enforcement will have more manpower to fight crime instead of enforcing traffic laws.

Problems which driverless cars could create

It should not come as a surprise that whenever new technology is introduced to benefit mankind, criminal minds will find ways to misuse the technology for personal profit or to cause mischief. What problems could arise?

  • Criminals will hack into onboard computer systems in order to steal automobiles.
  • Terrorists will hack into traffic control systems and into car computer systems in order to create accidents, traffic jams, or chaos.

Law enforcement will need the training to fight these new types of traffic crime. The use of the internet, GPS, and drone technology could become useful instruments for enforcing traffic safety.

Conclusions

Driving as we know it is about to change in a dramatic way. Although many technical problems remain to be solved, the use of driverless vehicles should accelerate rapidly by the year 2020.

Initially, driverless cars will be expensive. When the costs of these vehicles come down, almost everyone (including senior citizens, children, drunk drivers, and even blind people) will have the privilege of using driverless cars without endangering the lives of the public or themselves.