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30 Minute Interview
From 2D to 3D
Ajay Advani, Head - Manufacturing Solutions, Autodesk
India & SAARC talks to Express Computer about the shift from 2D to 3D CAD.
The shift from 2D to 3D design
3D has done to 2D CAD what 2D CAD did to the drawing board. 3D design increases
accuracy, allows designers to work on more complex models, reduces human error
and helps engineers share data and thereby increase collaboration with their
colleagues, clients and suppliers. It also helps the designers and management
visualize, simulate & analyze the product before it is manufactured.
Factors driving this shift
First and foremost, it’s all about economics. Manufacturing is one of the
most competitive segments in any economy. I have described some of the advantages
of using 3D for design. Ultimately, these advantages translate to cost advantages,
better products and faster time to market.
Secondly, many companies in India are being forced to use 3D to design especially
if they are in the design outsourcing industries or if they are subsidiaries
of companies based abroad. In Europe and America, a very high proportion of
companies are on 3D. They demand that of their Indian counterparts as well.
Lastly, prices have come down, the cost of ownership of 3D solutions through
subscription and maintenance programs has also been reduced, and the availability
of talent for 3D has increased.
3D CAD in action
One of our customers, a mid-sized company based in Chennai called Arjun Technologies,
is primarily involved in the design and engineering of process plants for which
they develop the complete equipment and piping layout as well as cable tray
routings.
In the words of Arjun Technologies’ General Manager, Projects and Engineering,
S Soundarajan, “project completion time has been reduced substantially
as design changes can be implemented almost immediately, visualization has improved
allowing us to see how the plant will look like upon completion and human error
has been reduced and we enjoy better modeling capabilities now.”
2D will go on
There are few companies that do not have any 2D CAD element in their design
process. Many companies have a mix of 2D and 3D CAD products.
Some of the reasons are that the cost of 2D products is low relative to 3D products.
The talent pool is massive. Many things can be done reasonably well in 2D and
then imported to 3D. Furthermore, most companies have a lot of 2D legacy data
which they may wish to re-use.
3D and the right Bill of Materials
It all starts with the right design. 3D helps to promote this and reduces errors
in the design process which in turn promotes accuracy in BOM. Secondly, the
3D design process allows users to optimize the materials which they need to
use for their product thereby promoting the right BOM for their product.
Lastly, a number of 3D products have BOM generation features
within the product itself, reducing any type of data loss or inaccuracy related
to translation. Changes made in the materials during the design process are
automatically updated in the BOM, reducing human error.
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