We live in a world where things are moving at an ever-increasing pace. Everyone is “going global” or experiencing the impacts of a global market. With the economy in a state of flux and competition at an all-time high, it’s more critical than ever to deliver relevant information in a timely and cost-efficient manner. That’s why manufacturing enterprises, large and small, are investing in the latest technologies to efficiently mold raw engineering data into meaningful information for sales, manufacturing, and service. In today’s highly digital and multi-lingual world, it’s imperative to communicate data though visual and interactive systems, enabling enterprises to more effectively sell products and gain valuable productivity improvements to secure and strengthen ever-shrinking operating margins.
The Rise of 3D CAD
Back in the days of the T-Square, vellum and Staedtler pencils, the customary way to design and document products was by using paper. With everyone working on the same medium, time and risk pressures were equalized across departments. As a result of the rise in 3D CAD, which encompassed increased complexity and speed in designs within the engineering department, other departments such as sales, service, and technical publications suffered: paper processes simply cannot keep up with the quick and dynamic 3D processes.
While the concept and creation of products using 3D systems is not a new one, it’s only recently that organizations have been able to leverage this great engineering asset in other departments, creating opportunities to improve quality and accelerate time-to-market for manufactured products. Selecting the right technology platform can improve communication and comprehension across the organization, while also reducing overall costs and time to market.
Documenting Products via 3D
If a non-engineering user can effectively employ 3D engineering data, it would offer the potential to create significant visual and interactive communications. However, engineers aren’t exactly prepared for or comfortable with sharing valuable intellectual property (IP) to other departments where they could lose control of this data. In addition, CAD file sizes are often too large to share in an efficient manner, and non-CAD experts aren’t expert enough to manipulate that data for their own purposes. To facilitate this data sharing and reduce risk of compromising IP, an emergence of light-weight visualization technology triggered a rise in 3D-based collaboration tools, but they have had minimal impact and use in departments outside of engineering. A sales or manufacturing person needs more than a way to rotate, measure, and markup a model – they need a way to more effectively communicate and explain concepts and processes about their products.
These users can now turn their desktop into a complete 3D environment with the ability to explore new and creative possibilities, and to bring richer user experiences to the desktop via 3D documentation tools.
There are many productivity benefits from using 3D documentation software that can increase a manufacturer’s competitiveness. By improving the sharing of product design information and communication throughout an organization – and the extended network of suppliers, partners, and customers—shorter design cycles, streamlined manufacturing processes, improved sales revenues, and accelerated product introductions become the norm rather than the exception.
With a desktop 3D documentation system, manufacturers, marketers and technical communicators can effectively automate processes that are crucial for success in a marketplace that is as prosperous as it is competitive. Imagine being a sales person and using the power of 3D to more effectively demonstrate and explain the differentiating features of your products – even though they haven’t been built yet! Or imagine being an assembly process planner with the ability to begin documenting the assembly process before the product design is complete, with the reassurance that engineering changes can be easily incorporated into your instructions. How about being a technical documentation person with the ability to create as many visual images and illustrations as necessary to fully communicate the intent and usage of your product, without having to take shortcuts or waste hours of time taking digital photos, creating illustrations by hand, or cleaning up engineering drawings.
The Emergence of Lifelike Experiences
With more pervasive use of 3D technology outside of the engineering department, the product documentation process is brought to life with the universal language of 3D. All stakeholders are able to input their expertise and knowledge into their product documentation – creating powerful “lifelike experiences,” where real products are infused with real information and delivered as 3D interactive documentation to consumers who can actively participate with the information to enhance learning and knowledge. These interactive 3D lifelike product experiences are not only fun and engaging, they also save time and money while boosting competitiveness, productivity, and morale.
Additional Reading
3DVIA Composer’s Blog
About the Author
Garth Coleman is the Director of Product Marketing for 3DVIA at Dassault Systèmes. In this role, he manages all aspects of product marketing for 3DVIA Composer, manages the North American pre-sales support team, and is responsible for maintaining 3DVIA’s market leadership in innovative, interactive 3D Applications which demonstrate lifelike experiences.
Garth has over 10 years experience helping companies be more productive in creating, managing, and exploiting their investments in 3D CAD data. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Society in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA.
