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CAPABILITIES

CAD Modeling & Design

 

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) models are absolutely essential if anything needs to be created and/or manufactured in today's world. With over 12 years of CAD modeling experience we can make changes to your existing CAD models or start completely from scratch to create your own unique design. Our current list of CAD modeling software on hand are:

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  • SolidWorks (2016 & 2022)

  • Creo Parametric 9.0.1.0

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We also have our own designs that are currently in development. These concepts undergo the same processes that your design will follow. This is to ensure that any designs developed by ACD will handle the stresses or loads that a product will see over its' lifetime and be ready for our manufacturing partners to produce.

Reverse Engineering

 

Reverse Engineering or Metrology utilizes the ability to take an existing part or assembly and recreate it in a CAD format allowing modification of the component in the software and or develop Machine Drawings to manufacture the component.

 

The easiest method for this is a portable coordinate-measurement machine (CMM), which uses specific equipment and software that integrates with a CAD program. A CMM implements simple geometric shapes such as points, lines and circles to generate complex components in the CAD software. Our experience includes the use of other device types to capture the details of the component being scanned:

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  • White Light Scanners

  • Laser Profiler Scanners

  • Various 3D Scanning Equipment

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Finite Element Modeling & Analysis

 

Finite Element Modeling (FEM) is also known as meshing, this is the middle step between the final CAD model and being able to perform analysis on the design in development. Most Finite Element Analysis (FEA) programs or software have their own meshing capabilities, which are used to generate the 2D or 3D polygonal shapes known as elements. Once a model is completely meshed the boundary conditions will need to be set up, such as:

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  • Constraints (directional, fixed or rigid)

  • Contacts (surface-to-surface or nodes-to-surface)

  • Connections (bolt, weld, spring or dampener)

  • Loading Scenarios (pressure, force, velocity or acceleration curves)

  • Outputs (failure curves, contour plots, max. stresses & strains)

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After all of these details are set up the analysis begins and the software solves the problem to produces the results. We perform extra tests to check the model behavior prior to the full model analysis.

Additional Services:

Machine/Fabrication Drawings

 

Design realization requires these drawings for fabrication. These drawings include the overall dimensions, cut-outs, bolt & thread call-outs, tolerances, weld specifications and assembly requirements.

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After the design is finalized and these drawings are complete, we rely on the our local professional machinist partners to create the final product. Our partners have all the equipment one would need to build any component out of many different materials.

3D Printing

 

Three-dimensional (3D) printing allows a user to rapidly create prototypes in only a few hours (depending on part size) out of various materials. This is extremely useful for concept and design development, you can create a full 3D version of your design model, hold it up or bolt it into place and verify that the model will work for its intended purposes. 

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We also have a few companies that can assist us in this process, especially if you would like a highly detailed or tight tolerance piece made.

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