CAD and CAE Applications

CAD and CAE Software

Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications enable the creation of accurate 2D and 3D models to help visualise objects and scenarios prior to development and manufacturing. Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) applications take this process a step further with the ability to then analyse these models - in short, CAD is the process of designing a product and CAE is when you simulate and test it.

CAD

• A 3D version of the object is created, so engineers and production workers can more easily understand the shape and the properties of the designed geometry.

• Some geometries can be extremely complicated and difficult, if not impossible to properly understand without seeing them in three dimensions.

• Changes to the geometry can be very easily made because the software recalculates the model after every change. Moreover, the CAD program identifies and alerts you to any errors in your geometry that would, for example, cause a collision of moving parts.

• A CAD model can be transformed into a mesh and then simulated for analysing and testing purposes in CAE software.

CAE

• CAE analysis removes the need for as many prototypes and drives down the overall development costs of the project.

• CAE reduces the potential for errors in design that will affect the integrity or properties of the final product.

• The users avoid over-engineering since they can immediately see if the changes to the product design affect the performance, which allows them to decide early in the process whether it’s worth it to continue developing or if they should drop the design version after the first simulations.

• The effect of altering one or a few parameters on the product can be studied, allowing users to understand the real world potential impacts of design changes.