30-Second Summary Hidden costs Skills gaps show up as slower work, repeated requests for help and outdated methods, which over time affect productivity, quality and morale. Business benefits Training improves performance, helps teams use their existing technology properly and reduces reliance on a single “go-to” employee. Employee growth Training helps break the cycle of frustration […]
30-Second Summary “Same but different” designs Custom product manufacturers spend significant time updating CAD models, configurations, drawings, assemblies, and BOMs. The cost of manual work Bottlenecks slow the design cycle, causing slow quote turnaround times and lost sales. Rules-based design automation DriveWorks automatically generates SOLIDWORKS® parts, assemblies, drawings, BOMs, and manufacturing documents. Engineering knowledge captured […]
30-Second Summary The problem with manual CAD updates Custom manufacturers spend hours copying files, updating dimensions, and generating BOMs for every new order, increasing the risk of errors and rework. Rules-based automation DriveWorks captures engineering knowledge as reusable rules that automatically generate accurate SOLIDWORKS models, drawings, and assemblies. Consistent outputs guaranteed Rules-driven logic replaces manual […]
30-Second Summary The trial-and-error tax Sending a plastic part to the toolmaker without simulation risks costly geometry changes once tooling design has already started. Clean geometry first Unmerged bodies and tiny gaps between faces cause mesh failures – resolving these in CAD is far faster than restarting a failed mesh. Diagnose mesh failures efficiently The […]
30-Second Summary skip render: ucaddon_list By Cameron Appolis Applications Engineer BE in Mechanical Engineering Published 24 August 2026 Updated 24 August 2026 LinkedIn View Profile A component can be strong enough to carry its mechanical loads and still fail to perform as intended. A motor may meet its structural requirements but produce the wrong torque. […]
30-Second Summary The problem Feed screw pockets require a product to move along a helix while rotating about its own axis – a motion no standard SOLIDWORKS feature can produce. The usual workarounds Segment-by-segment sweeps, hand-placed lofts and surface stitching. Slow, fragile, and still only approximations. The add-in solution The MECAD Feed Screw add-in generates […]
30-Second Summary Automatic Feature Recognition SOLIDWORKS CAM analyses 3D models to identify machinable features like pockets, holes and slots in seconds, slashing programming time. Toolpath Strategy Matters Choosing the right roughing and finishing strategies directly impacts cycle time, tool life and surface quality. VoluMill Delivers 74% Time Savings A side-by-side comparison showed VoluMill roughing reduced […]
30-Second Summary Configurations Save Setup Time Render multiple design variations from a single Visualize project, each with different appearances and scenes, in one click. Render Queue Ends the Wait Queue multiple renders and let them process overnight instead of waiting for each one to finish before starting the next. Visualize Boost Frees Your Workstation Offload […]
30-Second Summary Beyond Conduction Analysis Traditional FEA tools estimate cooling with assumed coefficients – SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation calculates actual airflow behaviour using CFD. Small Changes, Big Impact Repositioning a fan, adding a PCB, or rerouting cables can dramatically alter thermal performance in ways only CFD can predict. Real-World Validation A liquid-cooled enclosure project let engineers […]
30-Second Summary Buckling is a stability failure, not a strength failure A member can sit below yield stress and still collapse suddenly – a static study with a passing factor of safety will not catch it. The Buckling Load Factor (BLF) is the metric A BLF below 1.0 means the structure is already at risk; […]
