CAD software is an indispensable tool for industrial designers to explore their design ideas. CAD is the process of creating sketches and drawings using a computer system. Using this process can help provide an image of the final product’s appearance in 2D and 3D designs. This software can help you calculate the precise measurements needed for the final product.
2D Design Drawing
A 2D drawing is a two-dimensional line drawing showing only one view of the component. It works like a snapshot of a part. 2D drawings are mostly created digitally using graphics software or can be directly exported from the 3D model.
For extruded aluminum products, 2D CAD drawings are essential for extrusion die production. To save your time and cost, when sending aluminum extrusion drawings to us, it always contains at least the following important information：
- Physical dimensions and tolerances
- Hole size, location and thread type
- Surface finish and color
- Material
- Corner radius
- Critical dimensions
Usually, aluminum extrusion products require extra machining for final assembly and use. These machining works may include tapping, laser cutting, CNC milling, etc. When it comes to CNC machining, 3D drawings are almost necessary, especially for complex aluminum components.
3D Design Drawing
SOLIDWORKS and CAD software can be used to make 3D design models. A solid object that can be rotated and viewed from any angle in a 3D drawing. The 3D model contains all the dimensional data of the component, even if the data is not displayed on the screen. The 3D model can generate 2D drawings.
3D drawing can help manufacturers understand the physical volume and geometry of the part, and it can also help us understand how the design fits other parts. Since 3D files contain all raw data, they can be used to generate cutting programs for any type of CNC machining process.
What type of drawing do you need to provide us for manufacturing?
We use drawing software Autocad and Solidworks, and we can accept the following file types for aluminum extrusion and fabrication:
- .dwg
- .dxf
- .iges
- .step
For extrusion products only, 2D drawings with complete information are sufficient. If includes machining and CNC machining on the extrusion product, we strongly recommend that you provide both 2D and 3D drawings. This can provide the most complete image of the entire part, which helps us quickly confirm the production method and provide you an accurate quotation.