Find out if you should change your CAD system from 2D to 3D
Increased customer demands for quality and product reliability, higher product complexity, faster design cycles and a shorter development process are the most common reasons why companies decide to switch from 2D to 3D. These problems often arise from a dynamic competitive situation created by the change of general conditions. The window to generate profit through unique selling points of products is getting smaller and smaller as global competition is always one step behind.
In this situation, converting your 2D to a 3D system can be the right solution, allowing you accelerate your time-to-market and optimize your product development.
The most common causes of delays and low productivity when using 2D include, time spent fixing drawing errors, undetected partial collisions, difficulties in data exchange between departments, and wasted time spent on new constructions for the assembly.
Solid Edge uses synchronous technology to help you accelerate product design, make revisions faster, and improve design data re-use.
Many companies wish to convert 2D part drawings to 3D models. This process is assisted by Create 3D, a tool in Solid Edge that copies and aligns 2D drawing views into 3D parts. A simple drag transforms the 2D geometry into 3D and any 2D dimensions become editable 3D driving dimensions. Unlike traditional 3D CAD systems, the created 3D geometry is not dependent on each other. As a result, users do not have to plan the modeling steps, which eases and speeds most companies’ adoption of 3D.
The L.S. Starrett Company is manufacturing high quality precision tools, gauges, measuring instruments and saw blades for industrial, professional and consumer markets worldwide. Since Starrett heavily relies on 2D drawings, it needed to keep the ability to use them during and after its move from 2D to 3D. With Solid Edge, the company was able to transition from 2D to 3D without disrupting its 2D design process, which resulted in more product documentation in less time.
We were making the transition from a 2D system and, although the move to 3D was quite a step forward for us, we found Solid Edge to be much more intuitive and friendly than the previous system.
Jan van der Tol, Designer and Crew Chief, Ten Kate Racing
