Spring 2025 - How Streamlined Is Your Engineering Process?
Working in the mechanical engineering business since 1985, and since 1989 working with CAD-systems I can tell I have some experience. For the most part I worked with AutoDESK products like AutoCAD, Inventor, Vault, but also with other brands. Also I have worked with at least over a dozen different employers and later dozens of clients. So I have seen a lot in the engineering business in the last 35 years.
What I have seen over the years is that most companies have not organized their engineering libraries very well, if ever. Most companies install their CAD system and use it as installed, without ever really creating a library, or organizing it.
When I worked somewhere I did do that on the go, but most engineers are not interested, have no time, have no facilities to do it, or sometimes are not allowed because of over strict managers.
This all leads to a situation where most engineers spend a good deal of time doing things they don't like, doing a lot of repetitive tasks, typing over information, many times creating the needs of revisions because of typo’s etc.
Also the people in the next part of process (e.g. the procurement department) need to translate the parts lists to their system which can be a lot of work.
Probably the bigger companies may have their systems integrated but the smaller companies usually don’t, at least that’s my experience.
My impression of these organizations is as follows:
1. They have no custom made templates (only usually for DWG’s, because you have to) but rarely for parts or assemblies
2. They have no batch-print tools
3. They have no other batch-export-tools for example to export STEP’s
4. They have no pre-assemblies, for example sets of bolts+nuts+washers
5. No custom made Content Center, for example bolts with several ways of finishing, several strengths, order numbers added, etc.
6. They rarely use iParts or iAssemblies (no time to learn it)
7. In short, they hardly use the full potential of the software the company pays for, without realizing it.
Sometimes these companies hire an engineer to set up or re-organize the library-system. The problem with this is that the new employee has little experience, has no vision, or the manager’s vision is unfeasible (that happened to me). On top of that, hiring an employee for a short-term a task like this, is for most companies not economically feasible. Thus, the engineers keep struggling and the company does not have a streamlined process, which causes unnecessary stress and reduces work satisfaction. This may eventually cause the company to fall behind its competitors.
Personally I am a witness of what the effect can be of having a good library. A company I worked with in the early 90’s used AutoCAD. We installed it and started to use it. My manager back then gave me a small book teaching AutoLISP. It was wonderful. We started programming on the go. And after a while we had a whole library of little programs creating flanges, bolts, nuts, pipes, bends, you name it. Before the usual project time was about a week. But after a while we had reduced the project time from a week to about 2 days. That’s over a 100% improvement! Think about it. So it does pay of bigtime.
So, is the engineering process of your organization in optimal shape?
If not, we can help, and email us today!