Are you ready for design automation?
If your engineering team spends hours updating CAD models, errors and rework are increasing, and quote turnaround times are slowing, your business is probably ready for design automation. Manufacturers of custom products see huge benefits from automating designs because it enables them to eliminate repetitive CAD tasks, improve accuracy, and streamline processes.
7 signs your manufacturing business needs design automation
1. Engineers spend the majority of their time modifying designs
Your engineers spend hours of their design time updating old CAD models, copying assemblies, updating dimensions manually, and creating high volumes of “same but different” designs.
2. Quote turnaround times are slow
The high volume of manual design work is slowing down your quote turnaround times, so you lose sales because customers expect faster responses.
3. Product customization is increasing
Your products are becoming more complex with many more product variations. Demand for your customized products is increasing, but your processes are struggling to keep up.
4. Design errors are causing rework
High volumes of manual design work result in incorrect dimensions, missing components, and revision mistakes. Rework is costly, impacts production efficiency, and leads to bottlenecks.
5. Engineering bottlenecks
Managing high volumes of manual design revisions is causing bottlenecks that result in a backlog of design requests.
6. Hiring more engineers isn’t helping
You’ve increased the size of your engineering team, but the sheer volume of manual design work means that you’re still seeing high error and rework rates, and your quote turnaround time is still slow. Additionally, recruiting design engineers is an ongoing challenge.
7. Knowledge and logic are held with your experienced engineers
Your design rules and engineering logic are trapped with your engineers, making it difficult to standardize designs and maintain quality and consistency. Additionally, you’re vulnerable to “brain drain” if those engineers leave the business.
Design automation readiness checklist
- You frequently create “same but different” designs
- Engineers work on repetitive CAD tasks
- Quote turnaround times are slow
- Errors are causing rework
- You can’t keep up with demand
- Configuration complexity is increasing
- You want to scale without adding engineering headcount
Frequently asked questions about design automation
Which industries benefit most from design automation?
Manufacturers of configurable, custom products often see the biggest benefits because many of their design tasks follow rules and parameters. Industries include HVAC, transportation, materials handling, industrial machinery, medical equipment, and architectural components.
When should I invest in a design automation solution?
Consider design automation when repetitive design work, slow quote turnaround, or engineering bottlenecks start to limit your efficiency.
Does design automation replace engineers?
No. Design automation frees up engineering teams to work on higher-value tasks such as new product development.
What can design automation create automatically?
Depending on the solution, design automation can automatically generate CAD models, drawings, BOMS, and other manufacturing documents and data.
How much time can I save?
Time savings vary, with some manufacturers saving hours or even days by automating repetitive design tasks.
Why manufacturers use DriveWorks to automate SOLIDWORKS®
Manufacturers using DriveWorks design automation solution achieve improved efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.
Marelli reduced design time by 50% and improved error rates.
IMA-PG reduced design time from 4 days to 1 day.
Markilux reduced design time from 4 hours to 20 minutes.
Want to learn more?
Find a reseller
DriveWorks is sold worldwide and supported locally by authorized resellers in your time zone.
In addition to providing product support, DriveWorks resellers also offer DriveWorks training programs and can guide you on getting started.
Request a demo
Request a demo with a DriveWorks technical specialist.
They’re experts in design automation and will show you how easy it is to get started.
Join a design automation webinar
In our live webinars, product experts share their knowledge and give you an introduction to using DriveWorks to automate your SOLIDWORKS® designs.