Expert-level CAD design covering parametric modeling, assembly design, drawing creation, FEA simulation, design for manufacturing, and PLM workflows.
Sketch: 2D profile with dimensions and constraints, fully defined best practice. Features: extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, fillet, chamfer, shell, pattern. Feature tree: history of operations, order matters for dependencies. Design intent: model dimensions to reflect design relationships. Configuration: multiple variants of part within single file.
Mates: define relationships between components, coincident, parallel, concentric. Bottom-up: design parts first, assemble second. Top-down: design in context of assembly, driven by layout sketch. Interference detection: check for part collisions in assembly. Bill of materials: auto-generated list of all components in assembly.
Views: front, top, side, section, detail, auxiliary views. Dimensions: fully dimensioned to manufacturing requirements. Tolerances: GDandT symbols for form, orientation, position, runout. Title block: part number, revision, material, scale, approval signatures.
Mesh: discretize geometry into elements, finer mesh near stress concentrations. Boundary conditions: fixtures and loads applied to represent real constraints. Material properties: elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, yield strength. Results: stress, strain, displacement, factor of safety visualization.
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Undefined sketch causing unexpected behavior | Always fully define sketches |
| Feature order problems | Understand parent-child relationships in feature tree |
| Over-constrained assembly mates | Use minimum mates to fully define position |
| FEA singularity at sharp corners | Add fillets or interpret local high stress with caution |