ALL things begin with an idea that leads to a design, and the science behind a design is what makes a product valuable to anyone who uses it. Design technology has become so refined over the years that designers can now even test their creations digitally and make adjustments before the product ever takes on a physical form. This type of computer-aided design (CAD) capabilities is crucial to ensure the quality and effectiveness of a product, as well as enhance productivity.

CAD is used in a huge range of industries, and its capabilities include performing calculations to determine the optimum shape, size, and functionality of any particular product. CAD software is also mainly used to create detailed 3D solid or surface models, or 2D vector-based drawings of physical components. It is used by organizations worldwide to provide the world with necessary products and feats of engineering.

These are our selection of the most trusted CAD software that top-performing businesses in Asia and across the globe use.

Dassault Systemes

Used by over 200,000 enterprises in 140 countries that specialize in 12 different industries, Dassault Systemes is known for its flexible CAD software that includes a raft of features specially built for CAD users. Solutions like CATIA and SOLIDWORKS are leading technologies for 3D product design and are used by engineering and design teams all over the world.

One of Dassault’s most widely-used solutions is DraftSight, a comprehensive CAD software that helps organizations reduce software compliance issues and deployment challenges, as well as enhance customization and integration. Its familiar interface is designed to make shifting from other standard CAD solutions a much simpler task, and to minimize training time. DraftSight’s features include interoperability, productivity enhancers, drafting and editing tools, and more to ensure CAD users have all the tools they need to work effectively and efficiently.

Dassault’s customers include large organizations like Rolls-Royce, Procter & Gamble, and Bosch, as well as dozens of small-to-medium enterprises in industries such as aerospace, construction, consumer goods, and even financial services.

Siemens PLM

Of course, Europe’s largest manufacturing and electronics company has its own CAD offering that is a staple for thousands of organizations, both big and small. Siemens PLM (product lifecycle management) provides software for every aspect of a business’ production pipeline. NX for Design is Siemens PLM’s own integrated product design solution that covers industrial design and styling, drafting and documentation, electromechanics, and mechatronics design.

NX 11 is the company’s most updated version of the CAD software, and has introduced capabilities for convergent modelling, rapid manufacturing, improved drafting processes, and rendering. The solution has also introduced a new robotics feature that allows the production of “new categories of parts”. According to Siemens, this brand new way of designing and manufacturing helps designers “reimagine the next generation of products”, and will help increase design innovation.

Siemens says the NX solution can reduce design time by more than 30 percent and improves team productivity every time they use it. Its flexibility makes it a great software for large design teams, especially when a product gets passed around multiple times for evaluation and re-design.

Altair

Built upon algorithms that were developed by biomedical research for predicting human bone growth, Altair’s solidThinking Inspire is a platform for early-stage optimization and analysis or verification of designs. It uses a ‘Topology Optimization’ algorithm to generate product designs in 3D and change the shape of shell structures through stamp bead patterns.

When used in the earliest stages of the design process, solidThinking Inspire users can reduce design time, increase product performance, and efficiency while also reducing the mass of the product parts. The latest release of solidThinking Inspire 2017 includes several groundbreaking new features, including a new Motion tool that allows for easy mechanization of moving parts; updated Partition Tools for dividing parts into design and non-design regions; and a Bolt Pretension tool to help users achieve more accurate results.

Altair’s product is unique in its simplicity, allowing designers to be more confident about their creations – all thanks to technology that lets them take every aspect of a product into account before it hits the shelves.

Find out more about Altair’s solidThinking Inspire here.

ANSYS

ANSYS has been around since 1970, and is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative companies by Bloomberg Businessweek and FORTUNE Magazine. Their engineering simulation technology is used in the production of many everyday objects – from something as small as a smartwatch to a massive rocket ship. ANSYS’ team of nearly 3,000 experts in nearly every aspect of industrial design and production makes it a safe and reliable choice for millions of users.

Their computer-aided design software include ANSYS SpaceClaim. SpaceClaim was a longtime partner of ANSYS before the company acquired it in 2014. SpaceClaim technology comprises of 3D modelling software that allows users to investigate variations on the geometry of a model with more ease than a regular CAD system. The software is designed to accelerate processes and increase efficiency in production.

In a statement, ANSYS said about SpaceClaim: “Coined ‘direct modeling’, the SpaceClaim approach is so easy to learn and use that any engineer worldwide can use it. Additionally, SpaceClaim is well-suited for use at any stage of development, including very early in the conceptual stage as well as in systems engineering.” The software can be used for manufacturing, 3D printing, and sheet metal design processes.

*Some of the companies featured in this article are commercial partners of Tech Wire Asia

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