If you are planning on designing a new custom product for manufacturing, you should think about using computer-aided design. This is a favourable approach because CAD will provide more detailed drawings for the creation of prototypes and products. Moreover, the drafts can be translated directly by fabrication machines into products through speciality software. Unfortunately, developing a good drawing from a concept can be challenging. If you would like to handle the drafting process without expert assistance, use these basic precautions to avoid mistakes.

Review Relevant Standards

When designing any product, you should check on any applicable standards. In general, rules and regulations are imposed on most items to ensure the safety of the users. If you do not check and comply with these legal guidelines, you might not create an ideal product. Moreover, you could be held liable for any problems occurring with the product. Therefore, conduct your due diligence on regulations and take them into account during the computer-aided design process.

Ensure Text Consistency

There will be a need for including text into your drawings before submitting them to a manufacturer. The text is essential for labelling or providing explanations for the design. Regardless of the purpose, you should ensure that the font is consistent throughout your design. Multiple font types and sizes will make the drawing seem messy and unprofessional. Moreover, the fabricator might have some difficulties in interpreting the draft due to the unevenness.

Consider the Tolerances

Tolerance is a critical consideration for developing a good CAD drawing for manufacturing. However, you must be careful because this aspect can also make the fabrication process unnecessarily complex. Simply speaking, tolerance shows how accurate the measurements or dimensions of the custom item should be. If you indicate the need for a tight tolerance on your drawing, the fabricator will have to use specialised equipment to make the measurements as precise as possible. This can seem like an advantage to an inexperienced person. Unfortunately, if a drawing shows that the dimensions have to be exact, production will demand more time and resources. Avoid the additional costs by avoiding tolerance specification unless it is essential.

Conduct Quality Checks

Finally, you should conduct a quality check of your CAD drawing. It is not uncommon for people to send faulty designs due to the lack of a review. Therefore, consider printing out your draft once it is complete. Then, check for any missing details or erroneous aspects. Where possible, you should also consult a professional involved in CAD services before submitting for prototype production and manufacturing.