implementating cad eng final

7/29/2019 Implementating CAD ENG FINAL

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Overview

Congraulaions! You have jus purchased new 3D CAD soware ha promises o help your engineers design innovaiveproducs aser and wih ewer errors. The seps oulined in his paper should help your company realize he benes oyour new oolse.

FOUR TIPS FOR SUCCESSFULLY

IMPLEMENTING YOUR CAD SYSTEM

W H I T E P A P E

B Y L . S T E P H E N W O L F E , P . E .


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Introduction

Acquiring a new ool is only he rs sep in improving your business. To ge hemos ou o ha ool, you mus use i correcly, rea i wih he proper care, andexamine how i will impac your exising process. I you ail o prepare or jump righino using he ool, youll ge a limied reurn on your purchase, a besand awors, youll inerrup your workow and aec produciviy, seting you back hours,days, and even weeks.

Wihou well-planned implemenaion, you won reap all o he benes his newool can provide. The mos successul companies have ollowed hese seps whendeploying a new CAD sysem:

Identiy productive activities. By showcasing he benes o he sysemearly on, you will generae more buy-in rom designers, adminisraors, andexecuives. Creae exciemen and enhusiasm or he new soware by usingi rs in he areas ha are he easies o implemen and ha provide hegreaes impac. Make hese deerminaions beore you sar raining.

Develop an implementation plan. Rolling ou your new CAD sysem will akeimeunless your company is very small, you can launch everyone a hesame ime, nor would you wan o. Make a deailed schedule and budge and

share i wih he sa, so everyone undersands he process and knows whenand how hey will be rained.

Establish good practices. Any new sysem requires new procedures, newsandards, and new rules. While you will cerainly make discoveries along heway, sar wih a clear and well-documened se o guidelines or using he newools and adjus hem as necessary. Youll never have o play cach-up again.

Plan your system architecture. Don be caugh o guard on insallaion day.Veriy he requiremens o your new sysem and ensure ha all he hardware,soware, and services are in place. Taking he ime o houghully implemenyour CAD sysem is planning or success. A litle exra eor now will se upyou and your enire organizaion or increased produciviyand will ensure

ha your employees and cliens are saised.

Identify productive activities

Is imporan o demonsrae your new CAD sysems produciviy immediaely.Execuives wan o see ha heir invesmen is increasing pros, and employeesneed o be shown ha he new ools are worh learning and using.

To become producive quickly, ideniy asks ha he new sysem can do wellincluding:

Repeiive asks or designs ha are varians o a similar srucure. Conveyor

sysems and maerial-handling equipmen are examples.

Pars and sysems ha are hard o visualize or ha require many drawingviews using D layous. Molded or cas pars or subsysems or auomobile,aircra, and consumer produc applicaions are examples.

Four Tips or Successully Implementing Your CAD System 2


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Is imporan o demonsrae he new CAD

sysems produciviy immediaely. Execuives

wan o see ha heir invesmen is opimizing.


Example o a complex casing modeled wih SolidWorks soware.

Designs ha require exensive ooling and in which misakes or lae changes

can be expensive. 3D modeling helps avoid errors ha cause lae changes inool designs, such as molded or die-cas pars and sampings.

Complex ools. Molds, samping dies, progressive dies, orging dies, andxures or holding complex pars or assemblies are good candidaes or 3Ddesign, especially i your cusomers provide 3D produc models.

Example o an injecion mold assembly creaed in SolidWorks soware wih MoldWorks rom

soware parner R&B Mold Design Soluions


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Poenially dangerous producs, in which ailure

can cause loss o lie or injury, can bene rom

checking orm, , and uncion in 3D.

Poenially dangerous producs, in which ailure can cause loss o lie orinjury, bene rom checking orm, , and uncion in 3D. Analysis osuch designs using nie elemen analysis (FEA) or compuaional uiddynamics (CFD) also increases produc saey by providing a beterundersanding o inernal loads and ailure modes.

Analysis o poenially dangerous producs improves saey by providing engineers wih a beter

undersanding o inernal sresses and oher physical behavior.

Sheemeal pars, or which auomaed a-patern developmen cansave ime.

Auomaically generaing a paterns (righ) rom 3D models o sheemeal pars (le) saves labor

and reduces manuacuring errors.


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Pars or ools ha are milled wih 3-, 4-, or 5-axis numericallyconrolled ools.

Example o a ool pah or a 5-axis numerically conrolled mill program creaed in SolidWorks

soware wih he SolidCAM parner applicaion

Producs whose sales can be acceleraed hrough 3D visualizaion beore heyare even buil.

Realisic renderings o CAD models can help syliss visualize how a produc will look and can help

markeing people design sales maerials beore physical prooypes have been made.


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Moving rom CAD soware, used mainly or D

drawing producion, o a 3D design and modeling

sysem requires changes in developmen

processes. Process changes mus be planned

careully, or operaions may be disruped.

Once you have chosen he iniial design

aciviies and have decided who will do he work

plan o rain all he people involved.

Develop an implementation plan

Moving rom CAD soware, used mainly or D drawing producion, o a 3D designand modeling sysem requires changes in developmen processes. Process changesmus be planned careully, or operaions may be disruped.

Unless you are a sole proprieor wih one or wo employees, CAD implemenaionplans should be clearly writen so ha everyone can learn and remember hem. YourCAD implemenaion plan should include:

1. Objecives and descripions o work o be done.

2.Coss and personnel resources.

3.A schedule.

Beore wriing he plan, answer hese quesions:

Which design aciviies will be done rs on he new CAD sysem?

Which employees will be he rs o use he sysem?

Who will perorm suppor uncions, such as sysem adminisraion,developmen o raining programs, and library managemen?

As noed above, choose aciviies or he new CAD soware ha oer he greaesbusiness benes such as:

Saving ime and labor.

Making your company more responsive o sales inquiries.

Improving he qualiy o your designs or reducing design errors.

Prioriize he aciviies o auomae based on heir business imporance. In

developing hese prioriies, consul wih senior operaing execuives who areresponsible or business decisions.

Once you have chosen he iniial design aciviies and have decided who will do hework, plan o rain all he people involved. Training coss money and akesworkers away rom oher producive work, so i should be included in heimplemenaion budge and schedule.


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Following convenions makes i easier or

designers o quickly place pars and posiion

hem wih respec o one anoher or o daum

planes.

Establish good practices

Mos companies have deailed draing sandards, bu many orge o updae heirsandards when hey adop 3D mehods. The ime spen esablishing sandards or3D CAD will be recouped many imes over he lie o he sysem. Here are somesound pracices your company should adop.

Model and drawing templatesBeore deploying new CAD soware, creae emplaes or pars, assemblies, anddrawings. Templaes are les ha provide seup inormaion common o everynew CAD le. They save designers ime and provide a consisen saring poin oreach new drawing and model. Congure CAD soware o look or emplaes in adirecory on he le server where hey are sored.

Beore making he emplaes, sudy he available opions or pars, assemblies, anddrawings and be sure you undersand hem. Choose he opions ha bes yourcompanys curren design and draing pracices.

Even more ime may be saved by creaing specialized emplaes conainingembedded drawing views, such as op, ron, and side projecions or classes odrawings ha are made oen. Don orge o add isomeric views, i appropriae, ashese can make drawings easier o undersand.

Part orientationEsablish company sandards or placing pars in model coordinae sysems.Following convenions makes i easier or designers o quickly place pars andposiion hem wih respec o one anoher or o daum planes. Sandard parorienaions also make i easier o apply predened maing relaionships.

Locae par models a he par origin. I a par has a plane o symmery, heplane should lie on one o he primary planes passing hrough he origin. I ihas wo planes o symmery, hey should lie on wo primary planes. Choose asandard or planes o symmery, eiher he op, ron, or righ plane.

Locae par maing aces on one o he primary planes a he origin. Choose a

sandard plane ha makes sense or your producs. For example, i you designproducs ha moun on a horizonal base, he maing ace should be heop plane.

Cylindrical pars should lie on he same par axis. Cross-secions o exrusionsshould all be skeched on he same plane. Exrude eiher rom one end orsymmerically, depending on how he pars are used.

The plane o symmery or his par has been locaed on he righ coordinae plane wih he ron

ace on he ron plane or easy placemen.


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I you plan o reuse CAD models oen, assign

meaningul names o imporan par eaures,

such as maing holes, aces, or anges whose

posiions mus be conrolled in manuacure.

Naming features and mating relationships

3D CAD models consis o relaively simple geomeric eaures combined o makecomplex shapes. CAD sysems auomaically assign names o hese eaures, suchas exrude , exrude , hole , hole . These names may no be meaningul o peoplewho mus modiy par models in he uure.

I you plan o re-use CAD models oen, assign meaningul names o imporanpar eaures such as maing holes, aces, or anges whose posiions mus beconrolled in manuacure. I skeches are used by more han one eaure, give hem

descripive names as well. Time spen documening models as hey are buil willreap savings beyond he lie o he curren produc.

Applying dimensions and constraints

A powerul bene o eaure-based CAD soware is he abiliy o embed hedesigners inenions in a model. For example, i a par is symmerical, is eauresshould be arranged around a line or plane o symmery so ha changes o pardimensions reain heir symmerical characer. Develop sandards or dimensioningcommon pars used in your producs, and require ha designers adhere o hem.

Naming variables

Every eaure dimension in a 3D CAD model is a variable. Change is value and hedimension changes.

Families o similar pars wih dieren dimensions can be generaed using ables,equaions, and oher auomaed ools. This echnique can save ime or companiesha design a variey o similar componens.

Jus as i does wih eaures, CAD soware assigns names o variables such as D,D, and so orh. Since i is equally imporan or variables o have sensible names,change he lengh o a sha o sha lengh raher han leaving i as he morerandom D7 i may be assigned.

SolidWorks soware 3D assembly wih pars lis.


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Enering produc daa during he design phase

and reerring o i hroughou manuacure

increases accuracy and saves ime.

Standards for non-graphic attributes

Produc designs include non-graphic atribues, such as maerials and heirproperies, surace nish, supplier names and par numbers, coss, he name o hedesigner, and he dae he par was designed. Sore his ype o inormaion in CADpar or assembly les where i can be accessed or a variey o purposes.

Bills o maerials on drawings or in manuacuring resource planning sysems canbe generaed auomaically rom non-graphic atribues in par models. Weighs andoher mass properies can be calculaed i maerial properies are sored wih he

par. Enering produc daa during he design phase and reerring o i hroughoumanuacure increases accuracy and saves ime.

Example o a design able wih meaningul variable names.

Esablish sandards or non-graphic daa ha is sored wih various classes o pars.All pars should have names, par numbers, and release daes. You will probably wan

o sore dieren ypes o daa or pars ha are purchased or abricaed in a shop.

Part number assignments

Assigning par numbers is like balancing your checking accoun. Nobody likes o doi; bu i you don, you will experience problems ha could impac your produciviy.To avoid his, have numbers assigned auomaically by eiher a PDM sysem or achange-conrol sysem. Auomaic numbering saves ime and limis delays byeliminaing he need o reques number assignmens rom a clerk.


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Teaching designers o employ manuacure-

driven modeling is one o he hardes aspecs

o implemening 3D CAD. However, he benes

are designs ha cos less o manuacure and

ha are easier o modiy.

Employing part families

As menioned above, auomaing he design o similar par amilies saves ime.Beore deploying your CAD soware, hink abou which par classes in yourorganizaion could benei rom design auomaion.

Is hard o ully auomae he design o a complex produc such as a school bus ora racor. However, many subassemblies o hese complex sysems, such as seas,brackes, and shee-meal panels, can be auomaed eicienly. Companies can indmany opporuniies o auomae he rouine design o designed-o-order producs,

including producion machinery, maerial-handling equipmen, and ools.

Encourage engineers o look or amilies o pars and subassemblies whose designcan be auomaed. Make liss o hese aciviies and prioriize hem according ohe maximum poenial savings.

Design auomaion soware, such as DriveWorks, a parner applicaion or SolidWorks soware,

enables an ininie variey o similar producs or subassemblies o be designed auomaically.

Flattening feature treesDesign complex pars wih logical srucures ha minimize he dependencies amongeaures. When pars conain many paren-child relaionships, a change o one o heeaures higher in he ree can cause muliple eaures o ail.

Designers should learn o pu in he imporan eaures irs, adding deails suchas illes, chamers, and asener holes a he end. Tie imporan eaures oconsrucion planes, raher han o each oher, so ha eaures can be posiionedindependenly.


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Rouine conormance checking can be

perormed by soware, such as SolidWorks

Design Checker.

Models wih logical srucures are easier o improve and o use or manuacuring planning. In his

example, he rough casing model a he le is used as he basis o he inished milled par on

he righ. The reerence planes are organized a he op o he model. Cas eaures come beore

milled and drilled eaures.

Well-srucured designs become especially imporan i you need o generaemodels o inermediae process seps. For example, i a par begins wih a roughcasing, is hen milled or urned, and inally has holes drilled in i, model he par inhe way i will be deconsruced or manuacure.

Teaching designers o employ such discipline is one o he hardes aspecs oimplemening 3D CAD. However, he beneis include designs ha cos less omanuacure and ha are easier o modiy.

Checking models before release

In he days o pencil-and-paper draing, nobody would have issued a drawingwihou checking i. Today, many companies release 3D models wihou ormal

checking procedures. Checking 3D models should be accomplished on many levels:

Compleeness, dimensional accuracy, and meeing orm and uncionalrequiremens.

Modeling srucure. Is he model ree as a as possible? Are here buriedeaures in he par or cus in empy space? Are lles and small holesapplied las?

Conormance o company sandards. Are dimensions applied properly?Are required non-geomeric atribues included?

Problem-ree geomery. Does he par conain small aces or geomeric

irregulariies ha could sall manuacuring or analyical processes?

Higher-level checks mus be perormed by experienced designers who undersandboh your companys producs and sandards and good CAD modeling processes.Engineers should develop checkliss o assis in reviewing models.

Rouine conormance checking can be perormed by soware, such as SolidWorksDesign Checker. I can check or errors such as improper unis, non-sandard holesizes, missing par properies, and pars wih rebuild errors or parially deinedskeches.


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The Inerne has become an inegral ool or

many aspecs o CAD, including obaining

suppor and solving problems, researching new

maerials and componens, communicaing wih

suppliers, and providing o-sie daa backup.

Mos CAD soware comes wih libraries

o common componens, such as aseners,

srucural seel shapes, springs, bearings, gear

sprockes, and pulleys.

Plan component libraries

Allowing designers o use any componen hey ind on he Inerne can be cosly.You can save money by limiing he ypes, brands, and sizes o componens usedin your producs. For example, mos companies have ound hey can limi heaseners hey sock o a racion o he sizes available. Limiing he selecion hadesigners employ reduces purchasing, invenory, and produc suppor coss. I alsoallows componens o be bough in higher volumes, resuling in beer prices.

You will save designers ime and labor by building libraries o componens

commonly used in producs. Mos CAD soware comes wih libraries o aseners,srucural seel shapes, springs, bearings, gear sprockes, and pulleys. CAD sowarecompanies also oer online libraries o proprieary componens, such as pumps,gearboxes, elecrical connecors, ixures, mold bases, and valves. One example ohe ype o service is 3D ConenCenral (www.3dconencenral.com) availablewih SolidWorks soware.

This auomaed bole packaging sysem rom Harness Inernaional is an example o a produc

conigured uniquely or each cusomer using common componens.

Even hough CAD models can be locaed in a variey o sources, each companyshould creae is own library o approved componens. These CAD models should besored on your companys ile server in read-only orma or in a PDM sysem. Assignsomeone he role o componen librarian o preven duplicaion o pars and oassure hey are modeled in accordance wih company sandards, conain necessaryaribues, and are properly classiied.

Componens should be organized ino olders by ype o enable designers o indhem quickly. When adding componens o he library, ake he ime o assure heycomply wih your companys par-modeling sandards. Include cusom properiessuch as he vendors name and par numbers as well as your companys par number,vendor numbers (i used), and any oher inormaion (such as compliance wihenvironmenal sandards) ha migh be needed by designers or purchasing agens.

Pars impored in sandard ormas should be sored in he naive orma o yourCAD soware. Impored pars may require repair work, which should be done onceby he librarian, no each ime he par is used. I your CAD sysem allows i, addSmarMae echnology o componens o enable hem o be placed quickly.


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Tips for building libraries fast

Use par libraries ha come wih your CAD soware or download par models romhe Inerne and check hem. Don worry i downloaded pars lack dimension-driveneaures. There is no need o change dimensions o purchased pars.

SolidWorks 3D ConenCenral rom Dassaul Sysmes SolidWorks Corp. provides engineers wih3D models o housands o commercial pars ha can be used in designs o mechanical sysems.

I par models aren available, employ parameric par amilies where possible osave ime. Add only enough deail o par models o enable designers o check orm,, and uncion.

Design your library classicaion and ling schema beore beginning o use yourCAD sysem, bu don build all he pars you need a once. Is aser and less coslyo add pars as needed and check hem ino he library or reuse.

Develop a checklis o inormaion required in every library par, and make suredesigners know how o use i. The checklis enables engineers o prepare heir own

pars on an expedied basis i necessary.

Train workers

Companies ha say hey can aord o rain workers will pay or he lack oraining laer. Unrained employees are less producive because hey make misakesha mus be correced, and because hey ail o ake ull advanage o he CADsysems capabiliies.

Alhough ouside expers, such as your CAD reseller, should be enlised o helpwih raining, don leave raining exclusively o ohers. Resellers and local schoolprograms can each workers he basics, such as how o make a skech or shapeeaure, bu ousiders can educae hem abou your companys procedures and

processes. Resellers and college proessors can be expeced o know how oopimally design your producs.


Money can be saved by limiing he ypes,

brands, and sizes o componens used in your

producs.


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Training curricula should be ailored o mee he needs o your company. Developa raining ouline in consulaion wih your vendor ha is wih your plan. Focuson sysem capabiliies ha your people will use and omi eaures hey don need.Thereore, i your company ashions producs rom shee meal and srucuralseel, here is lile reason o each workers abou sophisicaed surace-modelingeaures or indusrial design.

Your course syllabus should also include:

Procedures or le naming, numbering, sorage, and release

Where libraries are locaed and how hey are organized

Which emplaes are available and how o use hem

As designers become more experienced wih your new CAD sysem, hey willdiscover ways o use i more producively. These improvemens should be added oraining curricula and reerence maerials.

Plan your system architecture

The archiecure o your CAD sysem includes compuer hardware, local nework

coniguraion, soware seup, daa managemen, and Inerne services.

Hardware requirementsI you are upgrading rom D o 3D CAD soware, you should plan on upgrading yourdesigners worksaions, deparmenal le servers, and neworking gear, as well.

Designer workstationsChoose proessional-grade models ceried by your soware suppliers. Ask hemabou graphics adapers, he ype o processor, and he amoun o RAM andmemory recommended or each engineering applicaion.

Departmental fle serversServers sore CAD models and componen libraries, and hey run daa managemen

soware. The mos imporan characerisics o a CAD le server are disk capaciyand reliabiliy. A good rule o humb is ha server disk capaciy should equal hedisk capaciy o all he CAD worksaions neworked o i.

RAID (Redundan Array o Inexpensive Disks) sorage sysems proec engineeringdaa hrough redundancy. RAID levels hrough 6 disribue daa across muliple diskso minimize he impac o disk drive ailure. I a drive breaks, no inormaion is los.

Networking gearDepending on he size o your les and he speed o your local area nework, youmay need o upgrade your neworking equipmen. To es he capaciy o yournework, move represenaive-sized pars and assemblies rom servers o cliens,and assess he ranser imes o see i hey are accepable. I you nd i oo slow,gigabi Eherne equipmen is reasonably priced and eliminaes delays moving largemodels o and rom le servers.

Unrained employees are less producive

because hey make misakes ha mus be

correced, and because hey ail o ake ull

advanage o he sysems capabiliies.

The archiecure o your CAD sysem includes

compuer hardware, local nework conguraion

soware seup, daa managemen, and Inerne

services.



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Standardized setupI your organizaion has a dedicaed CAD adminisraor, sandardizing he opionsinsalled on each worksaion can reduce labor coss. Allowing designers o chooseheir opions individually makes diagnosing problems and answering quesionsmore difcul or suppor personnel. I you have never insalled soware using anadminisraive image, ask your soware dealer o help wih he insallaion.

Data managementI your company has more han a ew people using CAD soware or i eams o

designers work on he same produc, hen you need produc daa managemen(PDM) soware. An adminisraive sysem ha regulaes he ow o he designprocess, PDM soware prevens errors such as one designer overwriing he worko anoher. I also enables designers o ideniy curren revisions and search or helaes inormaion using atribues and key words.

PDM soware can be complex. Assure ha a leas wo people in your organizaionare ormally rained in how o se up and use he soware. I is also worh hiringspecialiss rom your CAD dealer or oher service company o assis wih he iniialinsallaion and raining.

This low diagram o a design approval process in SolidWorks Enerprise PDM is one example oan advanced applicaion ha can help engineers perorm adminisraive asks more eicienly.

When implemening PDM soware, sar wih a simple sysem ha providescheck-in and le racking. Once everyone is comorable wih a basic sysem,add capabiliies such as change managemen, bill-o-maerials managemen,direc access by suppliers, and links o manuacuring resource planning. Theseapplicaions can save ime and reduce errors by assuring ha only approved daaare released or manuacure.

Internet servicesThe Inerne has become an inegral ool or many aspecs o CAD, includingobaining suppor and solving problems, researching new maerials and componens,

communicaing wih suppliers, and providing o-sie daa backup. As wih anyInerne connecion, your nework o CAD worksaions mus be proeced rommalicious soware ha can damage les or slow sysem perormance.

Saeguard your invesmen by insalling rewall rouers o proec inernal neworksand ani-virus soware on individual worksaions. A new class o securiy soware,such as Googles Posini Services, operaes ouside inernal neworks o cachhreas beore hey reach your rewall rouer.

PDM soware prevens errors such as one

designer overwriing he work o anoher. I also

enables designers o ideniy curren revisionsand search or he laes inormaion using

atribues and key words.



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Conclusion

Jus by aking he ime o read his documen, you have aken he irs sep osuccessul implemenaion o your 3D CAD sysem. I you ollow hrough byideniying he mos producive aciviies, esablishing bes pracices, and careullyplanning boh sysem implemenaion and archiecure, your organizaion will derivehe maximum benei rom his acquisiion. To urher ensure success, remember o:

Be patient. Don ry o swich everyone o a new CAD sysem a once. Phasein new sysems saring wih he mos producive asks.

Assess your progress. Include quaniable objecives in your plan. Find ou ihese goals are being me. I so, le ohers know abou your success. I no,nd ou why he sysem isn working as expeced.

Be fexible. I new echnology urns ou o be less producive han expecedor a paricular se o asks, change he plan and ry somehing else.

Evolve. The mos successul companies coninuously improve heir processes.Se goals or enhanced produciviy, and give workers ime o improve heirmehods.

Your new CAD sysem is a powerul ool. Wih i, you can revoluionize your workprocesses, improve your producs, grow your business, and even change he world.Plan careully, rain well, develop good habis, and design beter producs.

To learn more abou SolidWorks CAD soware, visi www.solidworks.comor call 8 693 9.

L. Sephen Wole is a proessional mechanical engineer based in San Diego,Caliornia. He was ounder and publisher o he Computer Aided Design Report andhe Product Data Management Report. For more han years, hese publicaionsilled he role o Consumer Repors or he CAD indusry. Wole has wrien wobooks on how o pick CAD/CAM sysems: The Smart Managers Guide to Selecting

and Purchasing CAD Systems and The CAD/CAM Strategic Planning Guide. Hecurrenly consuls in he mechanical engineering soware ield, assising cusomersin deining heir requiremens, conducing independen research, ideniying andnegoiaing wih soware suppliers, and implemening new soware eicienly.

Dassaul SysmesSolidWorks Corp.3 Baker AvenueConcord, MA 74 USAPhone: 8 693 9Ouside he US: + 978 37 5Email: [email protected]

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