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 the manufacture of a prototype. Autodesk professional tools such as Inventor support all these stages. Let's take a look at CAD software and its applications in the field of 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 meets certain constraints.
3D mechanical design software therefore 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 analyse 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 its environmental impact.
The 3 advantages for a team of designers and engineers
Advantage no. 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: working together right from the design stage
The synchronous technology of mechanical design software means that you can 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 is now more efficient than ever. Mechanical simulation coexists with design to produce ever-better finite elements: the design can be corrected by updates. Automating design for machining increases the quality and performance of your products.
The different mechanical design software packages
CAD, Computer-Aided Design
Computer-aided mechanical design makes it possible to establish initial models that can be used by everyone in the various mechanical design solutions.
CAD software is therefore the most widely used mechanical design tool in all types of industry, generally for designing geometric models for assembly.
Mechanical designers make use of the data in these 3D models, as this information provides information on the material components and shapes required.
CAE, Computer Aided Engineering
Calculation software assists engineering tasks to carry out 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 optimise performance when manufacturing is launched.
CAM, Computer Aided Manufacturing
CAM software automates the manufacturing process. The 3D modelling file is imported into the software that controls the machine tool.
The computer-aided manufacturing process thus consists of using the machine's numerical control to produce parts automatically.
Tools for testing all types of model
Industrial computing makes it possible to 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 a wide range of possibilities for standardised manufacturing:
- a library containing 700,000 standardised parts,
- a range of powerful tools for automating certain mechanical drawing tasks,
- functions for creating reusable rules and bills of materials,
- advanced calculations and analyses, taking into account international drawing standards,
- create your own documentation 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 dedicated to product design and modelling.
The effectiveness of Inventor CAD software for product development can be seen in :
- 3D mechanical design with shared data,
- dynamic parametric modelling of 3D objects
- interoperability with other software,
- mechanical simulation with stress analysis and visualisation,
- 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: Fusion 360 3D CAD software lives up to its name.
Combined with a cloud-based platform, the CAM-integrated software makes collaboration seamless for all product development processes:
- advanced collaborative working with data sharing
- version management and design variants,
- 3D mechanical design including parametric modelling, solid modelling, structural modelling, etc.
- realistic engineering and simulation using easy-to-use animation,
- optimal manufacturing by machining or 3D printing workflow for prototyping.
Essential resources for designers and engineers
Inventor, Fusion 360 and AutoCAD Mechanical are much more than just industrial design software, they offer a wide range of functions.
Equipping yourself with software designed for mechanical engineering means taking advantage of a unique working environment and the best tools at every level: 3D design, 3D modelling, 3D rendering and optimised 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.