CAD drafting holds utmost importance from design drafting and development to all the way through the manufacturing. However, undertaking intricate and meticulous CAD drafting in-house can get challenging because of the limited resources and cost. Hence, outsourcing fabrication drawing to the professional CAD Company for profitability is a viable option as these drawings are the basis of the entire project.
So, what exactly are fabrication drawings?
Fabrication drawings encompass the detailed engineering guidelines for the shop floor and offer immense precision. Fabricators require fabrication drawings right from the design intent understanding to the parts manufacturing, assembly, and installation stages.
Importance of Fabrication Drawings
Fabrication drawings, apart from helping on shop floor have other applications as well. They help beyond manufacturing, such as during assembly and installation as well.
Other applications of fabrication drawings include:
- 360° view of huge assemblies
- Higher consistency and precision in manufacturing
- Eradicate fabrication errors and risks
- Effortless judgment regarding cutting, drilling, welding, and other such operations
- Guidelines for assembly and joint detailing as well as tolerances
- Display precise dimensions to understand the resource requirements
- What does 2D Fabrication Drafting Mean?
Even today, most of CAD drawings are drawn in 2D. Experienced CAD drafters understand the tooling and hence, create 2D drawings to facilitate a smooth collaboration between engineers and fabricators. They use tools like AutoCAD, Inventor, and SolidWorks can create 2D CAD drafts that comply with international standards like ASME, ANSI, ISO, etc.
Converting 2D Fabrication Drawings into 3D CAD Drawings/Models
It is one of the most prevalent deliverables of an offshore CAD service, for it displays the product to the clients exactly the way it would appear in reality. 3D models enable the designer to represent the assembly of individual parts and highlight any design errors before the manufacturing of the final product.
3D CAD drafting necessitates expertise to drive and maintain the precision and integrity of the data. A certified CAD drafting establishment comprises of qualified CAD drafters, who can efficiently transform a 2D drawing into a 3D model.
What are the Deliverable of a Qualified CAD Outsourcing Firm?
While fabrication drafting and drawings are the primary need for a manufacturer or a fabricator, they also need several other services related to CAD drafting. In order to stay profitable and have better design documentation, different CAD drafting services offered by an offshore partner include:
- Scan/Paper to CAD Conversion
- 2D to 3D CAD Drafting Conversion
- SolidWorks CAD Drafting
- AutoCAD 2D/3D Drafting
- 3D CAD Drawings
- Fabrication Shop Drawings
- Manufacturing Drawings with BoMs
- Assembly Shop Drawings
- Millwork Shop Drawings
- Detailed Shop Drawings
- As-built Drawings
Additionally, your outsourcing CAD partner must understand the essentials of outsourcing like data security and privacy. They must align their drafting practices with that your company’s design needs for profitability and seamless communication. This bridges the gap between the CAD drafters of the offshore team, design engineers and shop floor engineers to help you achieve high quality for your product manufacturing.