What is Computer-Aided Design (CAD)?

Advantages of using computer-aided design (CAD) software solutions in product development include:

• Increases productivity – CAD software enables designers to work more efficiently, lower production costs and complete projects on time.
• Reduces errors – CAD software reduces errors that are commonly associated with manual design. Once a drawing is made, zero manual input is required. In addition, CAD software is designed to forecast and prevent common design mistakes.
• Facilitates Information Sharing – CAD programs catalogue changes and design histories. Files can be shared with partners and reviewed with product teams or customers to double check details and gather feedback.

*Source: https://drexel.edu

CAD enables design teams to detect potential quality issues before the product reaches production. Designers can easily investigate a design error, diagnose the problem, and resolve it using CAD software before any prototypes are made.

*Source: https://www.cadcrowd.com

CAD software enables design changes to be made quickly. Engineers can experiment with different designs and make small changes on the fly. CAD software also enables designers to automatically check if the design falls within certain specifications. Some of the cons of CAD include processing power limitations. CAD software often consumes large amounts of computer processing power, which requires costly hardware. Another con is the steep learning curve. As CAD continues to advance, it becomes more complex—making it difficult for first-time users to learn the software.

*Source: https://bizfluent.com