The Difficulties of Working in a 2D Environment

Even though 3D solid modeling has become the industry standard for complicated engineering tasks, your organization may still use a 2D CAD system. The usage for initial conceptual engineering is fairly prevalent. The difficulty with this is that when you finally want to go from 2D to 3D, you have to either do a laborious import of 2D data into a 3D program or manually recreate the design in 3D.

One of the most difficult aspects of 2D drawing is depicting a 3D world in a limited dimension. One complicated 3D part generates a sequence of 2D drawings that may be difficult to understand. When 2D drawings are utilized as the primary reference, there have been and continue to be misunderstandings. As a result, there are delays and, in some circumstances, faulty pieces are built. When several 2D drawings are required to depict a single 3D part or assembly, it might result in error-prone processes, including correcting numerous drawings.

An error or setback in the design and development process can cause the product's time to market to be pushed back and increase the cost of time spent correcting initial difficulties that shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

Another issue when dealing with fundamentally separate 2D and 3D tools is that any modifications to the 2D design are not automatically transferred to the 3D environment. You have two options: either abandon the 2D design sooner than you want or modify it twice.

With this article, I’ll try to showcase the major challenges faced at 2D modeling & drawings & the ways to solve them.

Obstacles and Solutions in 2D Cad Drafting and Designing Services2D drawings can help you understand how a product will work and what tolerances and dimensions are needed to ensure it fits and functions properly. The problem is that 2D designs in 2D Cad drafting and designing services include several flaws that might hinder an organization's production process. This is where 3D design shines.

Three-dimensional (3D) design can express product design in a way that improves production efficiency without adding a lot of extra costs. In reality, 3D design has the potential to save money.

So, here are three reasons why 2D design alone might cause delays in the manufacturing process and how 3D design can help.

• Assorted 2D drawingsObstacle: Trying to convey a 3D world through a succession of 2D drawings can be difficult. It might be difficult to comprehend a single 3D part from multiple 2D drawings, leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretations within product development teams.

Solution: These problems can be handled with 3D design and solid modeling, defining a 3D part in a single geometric file without ambiguity. Furthermore, the solid model can test the form, fit, and functionality before producing prototypes. Manufacturing efficiency is improved, and product performance is improved by evaluating more designs in less time.

• 2D drawings that aren't in synchronizationObstacle: Managing several 2D drawings becomes more difficult when required design modifications. In the design and development process, 2D drawings require three different datasets: the solid model, the parts list, and the 2D drawings. When design modifications are required, ensuring these datasets remain in sync becomes difficult. Attempting to revise multiple drawings might result in design flaws, which can cause manufacturing delays and result in the manufacture of defective parts.

Solution: However, when employing the CATIA 3D Master technique for 3D design, the design of a 3D part is all managed within a single geometrical space.

• Planes and drawings in 2DObstacle: Tolerances, parts lists, and other information crucial to manufacturing and quality control have all been provided through 2D drawings. Even though the planes and features are at the extremities of the part, they are all on top of each other in a 2D view. This makes creating accurate drawings that depict the important aspects of a part even more challenging. Users may not identify the particular part features when looking at a 2D drawing of a complex part, leading to more errors.

Solution: This problem can be overcome using a 3D design technique because drawings are no longer on top of one another, making it easy to identify each characteristic part.

• Non-engineers reading drawingsObstacle: Few outside engineers were required to participate in the design process a few decades ago in

2D Cad drafting and designing services. However, given today's business design considerations of production, procurement, and other factors, a whole new set of stakeholders is required to engage. That's one of the reasons why 36.5 percent of survey respondents said it was difficult for non-engineers to read designs.

Solution: Many attempts have been made to eliminate the need for drawing. Visualization software necessitates the creation of additional files from 3D models, adding additional IT tedious processes to the process.

• Form, fit, and function are all put to the testObstacle: The use of simulation in the design process has grown in popularity over the previous decade. Given that most simulations require a 3D model, it's no wonder that 2D poses a hurdle to testing form, fit, and function for 39.7% of those who responded to the survey.

Solution: 2D simulations were previously limited, while 3D simulations necessitated more geometry effort than analyses. Simulation is now more accessible than ever, thanks to integrated suites that include direct modeling, parametric feature-based modeling, and simulation capabilities. Direct modeling allows users to edit or remove geometry without the risk of model failure. Direct modeling is also being merged with parametric feature-based modeling, allowing for the exchange of modifications. Finally, CAD software is increasing, including simulation features. This eliminates switching from a familiar CAD environment to a simulation one. Overall, users will spend more time simulating rather than troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Many companies still use 2D drawings as part of their design process, but as seen here, working in a 2D-only design environment has its drawbacks, including but not limited to:

• Misinterpretation risk • Errors in design • Increased cost and time to market

While the 2D design is essential to most firms' design processes, it can have drawbacks, such as organizing various drawings and assuring design accuracy. This is where a 3D design method may assist the design of a part and the entire organization and supply chain.

Judith Morrison is an expert in the field of industrial engineering and writes articles related to piping, civil, equipment engineering related articles.