Software's: How do they affect Design for Manufacturability? Which CAD to buy?

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Systems have allowed us to become more creative in the way we work, but their ever evolving capabilities, power and time required to learn using them ultimately affects Design for Manufacturability. One must always remember that CAD Systems are just tools, nothing more.  

Here’s a good case study and a true story, to support this blog A company specialized in cabinetry design and manufacturing decided to put in place a top notch Engineering department, and to support it, they purchased a high-end Computer Aided Design (CAD) System with a high-end Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) System. The problem was not the applications themselves, but rather this company purchased the system without having a thorough understanding of the requirements associated to a Product Development Process (PDP). To make matters worse, there was no PDP in place at the time of the purchase.  This resulted in months (up to two years) of customization of the applications, while trying to fill customer orders, which in the end were very late, required numerous reworks, generated a significant financial loss and a no confidence vote in the systems put in place.  

Misunderstanding CAD Systems

It is not uncommon to see companies buying the wrong CAD System. This usually happens because we get blinded by the technology and some non-technical people truly think that it is the CAD System that designs the product. Ever heard the expression “Computer Designed” as a sale pitch? The CAD System is just a tool, and like any other tool, you need to know what you want to do with it before buying it. 

Consideration in the selection

Companies should develop their own considerations based on their PDP and products that ultimately leads to the selection of a CAD System. One cannot arbitrarily select a CAD System without answering (at least) the very basic questions listed hereafter and incorporate the answers in the requirements that will ultimately narrow the selection to one system. The perfect CAD System is the one that meets your requirements based on your PDP. Before putting a penny in a CAD System here are some points you should consider: 

• Purpose: What do you want to accomplish?
• Application: Aircraft, Marine, Space, Bridge, Building, Furniture, Electronics etc… Don’t try to shoot a bird with a canon,
• Ease of use—Productivity: Think of the people that will be using it,
• Training: How long is the training and how long to become proficient?
• Functionality: Consider what you need first, and then look into the nice to have. Consider the evolution of your business as well,
• Software Evolution: Some applications versions are not compatible with one another,
• Vendor stability: Make sure the selected vendor has a sound financial base, and a good track record,
• Support: Is it included, and how will future version affect your operation? Will you always need external support? Think $$$!
• Cost: it should be the last thing in your mind. Think of the Return on Investment (ROI) instead. Besides, accountants will always find the price too high, even if it’s a free open source CAD. Choosing the right CAD System that will increase productivity and reduce the design lifecycle is the only cost consideration that matters,
• Expert opinion: Ask for support from an independent CAD Expert not associated to any CAD supplier,
• Compatibility: think of compatibility with your production floor, especially if they work directly from 3D models,
• Suppliers and Customers: Do you need to be compatible with your suppliers or customers. E.g.: Aircraft OEM generally require full compatibility with their system,
• Manufacturing Functionalities: Does your CAD need to be integrated with the shop floor?
• Libraries: Is the CAD system compatible with commercial of the shelf standard parts libraries (bolts, nuts, screws…),
• Collaboration: Do you need collaboration functionality? It is useful when multiple designers work on the same assembly. This will tell you if you need a PLM application.

Your CAD Community

One of the building blocks of DFM is collaboration between functions. This is why you should involve all functions directly involved in the development of your product (except finance) to be part of the selection team. These functions should also have some level of proficiency in the use of the selected CAD System. Since they will be using a common tool, this will allow for a better collaboration among functions. 

The Ripple Effect

There is no stronger support for a CAD System then trust that it’s the right one, and trust in the PDP. This will lead to an efficient working environment where people will question how they can improve the system, rather than questioning the validity of the CAD system itself. Having the wrong CAD system in place will generate frustrations amongst functions and having no PDP in place to support the CAD will lead to people or functions working individually around the problem, therefore leading to a multitude of problems that will undoubtedly lead to a corporate wide disaster.

Closing Comment

Purchasing a CAD system requires knowing how one needs to work via a robust PDP and then list all the considerations supporting the PDP to purchase the right CAD System. There are professional consultants who are not associated to any CAD suppliers offering services that should be considered. Remember that once a CAD System is bought and put in place, only to find out you got the wrong one, will create a deep gouge on your bottom line.