Mechanical design software for engineers and designers
Mechanical design software helps designers and engineers at every stage of product development: design, simulation, right through to prototype production. Autodesk professional tools like Inventor support all these stages. Let's take a closer look at CAD software and its applications in mechanical engineering.
What is 3D mechanical design software?
Definition of mechanical design software
The aim of computer-aided mechanical design is to build a finished prototype that satisfies constraints.
3D mechanical design software enables designers and engineers to design and manufacture mechanical parts and objects, simulating products to test the viability of their projects.
A mechanical engineer uses automotive mechanics software to analyze and simulate automotive prototypes. In other versions, design and manufacturing software is used for architecture.
Depending on the sector, the application of mechanical simulation software can also fulfil a creative function in terms of design, but also the question of the object's lifespan in terms of environmental impact.
The 3 advantages for a team of designers and engineers
Advantage #1: complete product development
All the tools needed for creation, design, mechanical simulation and manufacturing are available and brought together to cover all the needs of a team, enhanced by technical data management.
Advantage no. 2: work together right from the design stage
Synchronous technology in mechanical design software allows you to work on a single file format, putting collaboration at the heart of the process. It's easier to communicate data securely and without wasting time.
Benefit no. 3: faster, higher-quality prototyping
Parts prototyping achieves record efficiency. Mechanical simulation coexists with design to produce ever-better finite elements: the design can be corrected by updates. Automated design for machining increases product quality and performance.
Mechanical design software
CAD, Computer-Aided Design
Computer-aided mechanical design enables the creation of initial models that can be used by all mechanical design solutions.
CAD software is thus the most widely used mechanical design tool in all types of industry, generally for the design of geometric models for assembly.
Mechanical designers use the data in these 3D models, as this information is used to determine the material components and shapes required.
CAE, Computer-Aided Engineering
Calculation software supports engineering tasks to perform complex analyses. This type of software handles calculations and enables simulations of all kinds to be carried out: system simulation, PLM, FEA, CFD, etc.
The aim of mechanical simulation is to anticipate any functional incident in order to optimize performance when manufacturing is launched.
CAM, Computer-Aided Manufacturing
CAM software automates the manufacturing process. The 3D modeling file is imported into the software controlling the machine tool.
The computer-aided manufacturing process thus consists of exploiting the machine's numerical control for automatic part production.
Tools for testing all types of models
Industrial computing can process all types of data to provide models for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Some product data management (PDM) software is a great help in evaluating product versions and document management.
3 Autodesk professional tools for mechanical engineering
AutoCAD Mechanical: mechanical CAD for manufacturing
This version of Autocad is dedicated to mechanical engineering.
The mechanical CAD software offers numerous possibilities for standardized manufacturing:
- a library of 700,000 standardized parts,
- a range of powerful tools to automate certain mechanical drafting tasks,
- features for creating reusable rules and bills of materials,
- advanced calculations and analyses, taking into account international drawing standards,
- create your own documentation while using 3D CAD models,
- a mobile application for working on the move,
- and much more.
Inventor: for product development
Autodesk Inventor is 3D CAD software for product design and modeling.
The effectiveness of Inventor CAD software for product development is demonstrated by :
- 3D mechanical design with shared data,
- dynamic parametric modeling of 3D objects
- interoperability with other software,
- mechanical simulation with stress analysis and visualization,
- a documentation tool that encourages collaboration,
- configurable automation for complex assemblies, etc.
Fusion 360: a complete 3D CAD tool
Design, simulation and manufacturing in a single tool: the 3D CAD software Fusion 360 lives up to its name.
Combined with a cloud-based platform, the CAM-integrated software makes collaboration seamless for all product development processes:
- data-sharing and collaborative working,
- version and design variant management,
- 3D mechanical design including parametric, solid and structural modeling, etc.
- realistic engineering and simulation through easy-to-use animation,
- optimal manufacturing by machining or 3D printing workflow for prototyping.
Indispensable resources for designers and engineers
Inventor, Fusion 360 and AutoCAD Mechanical are far more than just industrial design software.
Equipping yourself with software for mechanical engineering means taking advantage of a unique work environment and the best tools at every level: 3D design, 3D modeling, 3D rendering and optimized team collaboration.
Autodesk is also providing its share of new features and updates for 2018: something to study closely, whether you're a student or already have proven skills.
Article translated from French