If you’re thinking of investing in a CAD system, it’s important to understand the future trends which could influence how and what you purchase
The primary drivers for the development of CAD and its wider applications start with the cost of the hardware and software solutions required in assembling a system. The industry has its roots in the defence industry, with companies such as IBM and Silicon Graphics manufacturing high-end workstations selling for £25-£500k.
The growth of PC technology and the raw computing power of today’s games graphics cards have massively reduced costs so that now a credible workstation is more likely to cost around £2,000.
CAD software ten years ago would also be equivalent to work station costs. Today, low-end 2D drafting packages are given away on the front of computer magazines. That said, advanced CAD systems still retail at tens of thousands of pounds, plus 10% maintenance per annum.
One of the key aspects influencing the penetration of CAD into society and business is the complexity and time spent learning the system. Today some of the most advanced systems will take up to a year full time to learn, and even longer to master.
Advances in user interface design by software developers should reduce the complexity and duration of the learning process and so increase potential use and decrease barriers to implementation in business.
An interesting new trend is demonstrated by Dassault Systems' new V5 Catia software and the extensive use of subdivision surface technology which allows the designer to stretch and pull surfaces in a way similar to digital clay, while at the same time retaining G2 continuity across surface boundaries.
New rapid prototyping systems such as desktop (3D) printing are squeezing the development process further and again placing increasing importance on the CAD dataset being produced for evaluation of a potential product.
Changes in manufacturing such as CNC milling and robot wielding have also driven companies away from printed plans and towards CAD data-driven manufacturing systems.
An interesting new environmental and manufacturing trend in rapid prototyping is the use of Soy bean oil and slurry to replace petroleum-based components used in the process.
Often the manufacture of goods will be placed in low labour-cost regions, further driving the need for accurate data transfer on an international level with minimum room for interpretation.
The real paradigm shift will come from CAD systems having integrated product intelligence built into the user interface. CAD systems will not only be able to check for manufacturing viability, but check for legislative issues, user interface cognition and ergonomic viability.