Welcome to Cadmodels.biz
Cadmodels.biz offers a variety of services in the field of product development. Our services range from initial design, clean up and repair of existing data files and 2d to 3d conversion to prototype fabrication, preparing patent literature and performing the manufacturing processes necessary to bring your product to market. We can take your idea from concept art to finished production engineering, providing 3D CAD services for complete product engineering and design for the consumer product market. Have your concept designed, built, tested and manufactured through Cadmodels.biz. Contact us today!
3D Cad Models
Three dimensional (3D) CAD (computer-aided-design) models have enabled major productivity gains in product design and engineering. Prior to the advent of economical desktop computers skilled draftsmen spent hours laboring with graphite lead pencils on velum and Mylar to achieve engineering quality documentation for fabrication and production manufacturing. The process required tedious checking to eliminate errors wherein modification required erasures and redrawing over and over on the same sheet. Large projects had many drawing documents linked to one another that required procedural revisions and archiving. [read more]
2D to 3D CAD Conversion
Start-up ventures, inventors, and small companies may have product ideas, concepts, patents, or core technologies that are the basis of a new product development effort. Accordingly, many product development programs begin without either 2D (three dimensional) or 3D (three dimensional) CAD models. It is typical in these environments not to have professional CAD capabilities. Many business success stories tell of conversations over coffee sketching on a napkin. Good ideas can come from anywhere and anyone including from people with diverse backgrounds that do not necessarily include product or business development experience. At some point, people with entrepreneurial aspirations will seek the services of professional CAD designers, engineers, for prototyping and manufacturing capabilities.
When CAD services are required tight budgets will cause the developer to gravitate to hand drawings or free or inexpensive 2D CAD programs such as Draft It, CadStd, Concepts Unlimited, Cadvance, CAD X11, PowerCAD, or the popular AutoCAD LT. While these programs are easy to learn and serve to get designs on printed paper, they are only a preliminary step to developing professional production ready data for prototyping, machining, tooling, and manufacturing. 2D programs can be very useful for building breadboard level testable units to validate the fundamental design and engineering for a product but when it comes time for complex geometries 3D CAD services from professional CAD designers and engineers is the gateway to world class product development. [read more]
When using 2d cad drawings during the manufacturing stage, numerous problems arise. Viewing 3d cad models helps identify errors early. These errors can be found while simulating the matching and mating of parts. Through the use of 3d cad, the assembly process of any given product can be simulated, visualized and analyzed before the design goes into production. 3d cad models are essential beforehand in determining the volume of material needed to mold specific parts as well. The use of 3d cad files also ensures that a design has sufficient room for other parts within the design. [read more]
Clean-up and Repair of Existing 3D CAD Data
3D CAD data can be defined as the electronic file information used by 3D CAD and CAM manufacturing programs. 3D CAD programs are used to develop various kinds of mechanical parts and assemblies within a simulated "real world" environment, the files from which can then be "exported" or "translated" into other formats for the purposes of evaluating, prototyping or manufacturing the actual product. While the part or product designs are being managed within the native 3D CAD file format by the designer or author, the data is deemed "flexible" or "editable" which means that changes to part or product geometry can be easily made. The CAM programs used to physically make parts designed in 3D CAD programs often require file exchange formats that render data into a "fixed" or "un-editable" state. The most common 3D CAD data file exchange formats include IGES, STEP, and STL which can be used in a number of different manufacturing processes and 3D CAD / CAM programs. In certain cases the file export or translation process can result in errors usually on the receiving end of such data. [read more]
CAD data or Computer Aided Design data simply refers to the electronic file information created and used by various CAD / CAM programs for the design and manufacture of certain types of mechanical and plastic injection molded products. For the purposes of this discussion there will be two main types of data which will be addressed. The first type of data is called "native" data which simply means the electronic file information created, saved and retrieved or maintained within the authoring CAD program. The other type of data is called "export" or translation data which is utilized by other versions of the parent program or different systems altogether which must be translated and then imported into the retrieving programs. There is also a distinction between what industry professionals call "development data" and "manufacturing data" which will be the focus of this discussion. The term "Data Cleanup" becomes necessary in the case of development vs manufacturing data whenever there is a need to alter CAD data in such a way as to optimize it for use by prototype makers and manufacturers of the end product. [read more]
CAD data exchange remains a challenge for designers and engineers during the product development stage and in the data turnover to manufacturing. Among the many 3D CAD systems there is limited data transfer capabilities that retain native feature functionalities. Accordingly CAD data is routinely transferred between CAD platforms using IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) and STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data) formats. While these exchange tools provide for generally good data transfer they do not transfer feature creation data and are thus inflexible for modification. While CAD publishers recognize this as a problem and have tried to address it; to date there has been poor result in translating anything but primitive geometric forms which are comprised of planar, cylindrical, revolved, and spherical surfaces. Parts that require splined curves and surfaces remain problematic to transfer from one CAD platform to another. The reason for this is that primitives are defined mathematical different from those of complex surfaces. While primitive geometries consisting of planar, cylindrical, ruled, spherical, and revolved surfaces and can be defined by unlimited discrete mathematical coordinates, those that are defined using spline surfaces require polynomial equations with interpolation to transition between defined curvature patches within the surface curvature network. The interpolation aspect of surface data translation is the basis of the popular commentary on IGES translation which is that IGES is an acronym for "I guess." [read more]
3D CAD Design for Injection Molded Plastics
Injection molding of plastics is one of the most cost effective processes for manufacture of parts in volume. While mold costs can be significant, amortization over many parts can make the overall cost of injection molding highly competitive with other manufacturing processes. The wide range of available polymers multiplied by the huge array of specific blends offer a tremendous range of physical, thermal, electrical, and chemical properties. Engineering plastics, classified by mechanical properties such as stiffness, toughness, and low creep, increasingly replace metals on a cost and performance evaluation.
Designing for injection molded plastics requires planning. Too often parts will be presented to a molder or tool designer late in the product development process only to be confronted with feasibility issues. If that happens the developer faces decisions to rework part designs or to face higher tooling and part costs. Leaving design for manufacturing and assembly (DMFA) considerations until late in the development program is a common mistake the misses out on optimization and disrupts the transition to manufacturing.
Planning begins in preliminary design. Some will argue that consideration for manufacturing early in the program will inhibit creativity; the reality is that it does not if perspectives are kept in balance. In fact design committee often err in committing to a design that later reveals feasibility and cost issues. While designers and engineers need to be free to brainstorm potential solutions, taking time to evaluate for manufacturing options is vital to assume a successful program. [read more]
Other Services
In addition to our top-notch CAD services, Cadmodels.biz offers the following:
Industrial Design, Prototype Fabrication, Silicone Prototype and Production Parts, Cast Urethanes, Manufacturing, Die-Casting, Stage and Progressive Metal Stamping, Tooling, Plastic Injection Molds, Patents and/or patent literature and Consulting
Cadmodels.biz is your one-stop single choice for insuring that your product achieves the greatest success because we can design and build prototypes for your original products as an all-in-one service. This type of operation tends to, not only, insure that your product achieves the highest potential, but it lower costs as well because of efficiency. It's simple. Our team will be familiar with your product from start to finish, thus less time is invested in your project because less individuals will need to review and understand your design. Have your concept designed, built, tested and manufactured through Cadmodels.biz. [read more]