The Benefits of Integrating Computer Aided Design and Machining Services

Computer aided design is increasingly used by the world's product designers in order to achieve ever improved results from their work. Due to the high level of accuracy that you get from computers, a number of benefits can be gained over conventional methods, such as hand drawing blueprints. When it comes to integrating product and component designs with manufacturing and fabrication processes, a computerised system makes a lot of sense due to the fewer errors that are generated. Let's look at the way in which modern manufacturing businesses use computer aided systems to bring together their design and machining processes in more detail.

Collaborative Working

With modern Australian product design enterprises of even a relatively modest scale often now working on the international stage, collaborative design and manufacturing systems are very on-trend. The way in which many businesses now work means that web portals are frequently accessed that allow designers in differing time zones to work together.

In vehicle production, for example, the headlamps may be designed in Canberra, but the bodywork in which they sit might be designed in Singapore. Furthermore, the automated machining tools which then make these elements of the car could be in Europe or the United States. With a cloud-based and fully computerised system, all the designers and product engineers can work together in a virtual environment to share information. Improving efficiency, such software systems even allow professionals to work collaboratively with one another in real time.

Audited Design Changes

When any product goes through a design alteration or facelift, a systematic flow of all of the changes need to be recorded. Some alterations may proceed to a prototype stage, but later be rescinded. Without a proper check of all of these changes, machinists can be left in the unenviable position of working to the wrong design, potentially wasting time and material resources.

Computer aided systems which keep everyone on the same generation of design prevent accidents of ill-fitting components and so on from happening. Where discrepancies between what has been designed and what is being machined occur, it is possible to go back and check where the fault lays and to remedy it rapidly.

This means that machining services companies of all kinds can integrate their systems, such as laser cutting panels or operating CNC lathes to finish components, with the latest iteration of a design. What's more, this can be done without any faults from occurring – even when designs are altered at the last minute. The computer simply downloads the latest data and tells the machine what to do. This is extremely advantageous in situations where multiple third party machining companies are making high-precision components for a single manufacturer who will assemble them at their plant once an order has been placed.


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