CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
25 February 2011
CIMdata News
Percentage of Mechanical Product Designs in 3D CAD and What is Considered to be Master Product Data in Your Organization (Poll Results)
It is very encouraging to see that of those companies who responded the majority (over 63%) execute over 75% of their designs in 3D CAD. However, there are still a substantial number of technological followers: fully 18% of respondents still work mostly in 2D. Certainly, 2D is appropriate for some product design work, such as simple turned parts. However, when these parts are used in more complex assemblies and products it remains preferable to design them in 3D so that they can be analyzed for things such as weight and clash.
The results on the question of master data are interesting from the standpoint that clearly companies are moving away from drawings as the master. This shows a maturing process where 3D is used for design and then maintained as the master that supports future work. 60% of respondents now use 3D as the master or as the master along with a drawing derived from 3D. Of the 39% who continue to use drawings as the master, one has to wonder how many are required to do so by some regulatory organization (such as US FDA) and how many do this to satisfy their company's historical practices.
NOTE: The results of these polls are anecdotal, not scientific.
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