The CAD Professionals Guide

to Lightning-Fast R&D

Todays global market is unforgiving.

Product-to-market cycles are faster than ever, forcing
businesses to keep up with innovation or risk being left
behind. Cheap labor produces more for less, unless you
bank on automation and team efficiencies.
For top companies with quality products to
compete, they need to streamline the R&D
process, collaborate more effectively and reduce
inefficiencies every step of the way.
Its time to supercharge your R&D cycle with innovative
tools and tactics.
This guide was written to help show you how.

Image courtesy of McCrorey Digital

01

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 The Need for Speed
Section 2 Tools & Technologies
Section 3 Kickstart Your Manufacturing Process
Section 4 Assemble Your Productivity Toolkit
Section 5 Take the Productivity Plunge

02

SECTION 1

THE NEED FOR SPEED

03

The engineers at Quirky, a product development

company, know all about the need for speed. After all,
they design, rapid-prototype, test and bring to market
two new consumer products each week.

Hes on to something:
In the last three years, revenue at Quirky skyrocketed
from $1 million in 2010, to $7 million in 2011, to $25
million (projected) in 2012. (Source)

No, theyre not superheroes. They just have a

supercharged community backing them.

Like the human Bugatti Veyrons at Quirky, mechanical

and design engineers are no strangers to the need for
speed.

Quirky crowdsources inventions and designs from a

300,000-strong community of tinkerers, dreamers and
amateurs. Then, Quirkys design engineers get to work.
Ben Kaufman (@benkaufman), the companys founder
and CEO, pushes his team hard because he believes that
rapid prototyping, a fast iteration cycle, and constant
failure and refinement produce the best products.

04

But speed isnt the whole story in this industry. You

dont just need to be fast; you need to be accurate,
creative and cost-conscious. A democratized, consumerdriven marketwhere people can find the exact product
they want, for the price theyre willing to pay, from
anywhere in the worlddoesnt allow anything else.
From tractors to cars to medical equipment, firms
around the world are taking the gloves offproducing
more for less and reaping the bottom-line benefits.
New technologies like advanced 3D modeling software
make it easier to produce designs for less. They also
make it easier for lean firms to outpace larger outfits.

In fact, more than 1,200 mechanical engineers believe

that theyre improving their capabilities to share
information and data, according to a June 2011 survey
by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME).
They also believe they must constantly update
their skills to remain competitive, reflecting the
current reality sweeping engineering: new technologies
streamline workflow, and the resulting productivity
gains are necessary for survival and success.

05

In short, engineering teams need to do more with

less, while collaborating with owners, contractors and
other engineering professionals across the globe.

The end result? A lean, mean R&D machine that

puts you on an even footing withor ahead ofthe
competition.

That means adopting new technologies and enhanced

productivity habits is more important than ever. By
managing communications, taming workflow and using
the right tools, youll see increased outputs and shorter
R&D cycles.

Read on for tools and tips to trim the fat and add rocket
fuel to your R&D cycle.

06

SECTION 2

TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES

07

They call it globalization for a reason: businesses arent

just competing or co-working on their home turf;
theyre battling competitors, and capturing market
share and billings on every corner of the map.

work closely with more contacts outside the company

itselfwith universities, institutions, suppliers and
even competitors.

Mechanical engineers see the changes firsthand.

One of the top-rated skills they believe critical to
future success is the ability to manage global teams,
according to the ASME survey.

A group of about 100 research engineers are

concentrated at development in Cologne, Germany
and Dunton, England, and tasked specifically to
assure the seamless technology transfer into product
development.

For example, Ford Research and Advanced

Engineering Europe (R&A), tasked with creating
innovative motor vehicles with environmental
considerations at the forefront, is a team of 250.
These individuals are located across 25 nations, and

With increased global responsibility comes the need

for technological tools that foster collaboration
and communication across time zones. These
gadgets will help you streamline workflows, produce
designs faster and stay on top of multinational projects.

08

Access Files and Collaborate, from Anywhere

Product Data Management (PDM) solutions help project
leaders, team members and other major project players
stay up-to-date on the latest changes, revisions and
information necessary to complete R&D cycles.
PDM software is available that integrates directly with
some of todays top CAD solutions, including those
from Dassault Systmes, Autodesk, PTC, Siemens and
SolidWorks.
While these solutions are robust, they are often
enterprise-grade and complex. Thats not a bad thing:
enterprise PDM solutions give companies unrivaled
power over their workflows.

However, if youre with a smaller outfit looking to

stay lean, you may not have the time, funds or
infrastructure required for a full-blown PDM
solution. Thats where these data management and
collaboration tools come in.
Theyll give your team the power to share, markup, view
and collaborate on design files without the budget
spend and adoption time required by a full PDM. Not
to mention, youll have the ability to access important
documents across devices whether a desktop at work,
laptop at home, or tablet or mobile when youre on the go.

09

GrabCAD Workbench: Create teams and manage

access by user for file-sharing, messages and more.
Those involved in the project can open designs directly
in web browsersno CAD software necessary for
reviews by non-engineers or designers. (And no worries
about accidental changes!) Security, backup and privacy
measures are in place to keep your projects safe.
GrabCAD Workbench is a beta element of GrabCAD;
request an invitation via the website.
Tinkercad and Sketchfab: Share your designs with
team members, project leaders or your companys fan
base using Tinkercad and Sketchfab. Like GrabCAD
Workbench, both tools are web-based: you and your
audience dont need CAD software to view designs.
Both Tinkercad and Sketchfab support a variety of

file formats and prize easy-to-use user interfaces.

Both tools have free versions, as well as paid monthly
subscriptions with increased security, storage space
and features tailored to commercial businesses.
WikiSpaces and HackPad: These tools provide your
firm with its own private Wikipedia-like service. Create
collaborative, communal documents. Edit, comment
and brainstorm in real time. Inform and educate your
team. Do it all in a seamless document interface that
cuts down on email and phone calls. WikiSpaces offers
business accounts that provide unlimited storage and
encrypted security. HackPad marks each persons
contributions in a different color, so you always know
who added what to the discussion.

10

Google Drive and Dropbox: Create and collaborate

on notes, documents, presentations and spreadsheets
with Google Drive and Dropbox. Both services store
your documents and files in the cloud, making them
accessible from any computer or mobile device.
Perfect for sharing files with global teams, both tools
are free to use (though youll pay for more cloud
storage space).
For additional security layers, consider utilizing Google
Drive as a part of a Google Apps for Business account.
Dropbox allows you to collaborate in the cloud.

11

Basecamp, Huddle and SharePoint:

When your projects resemble a three-ring circus, turn
to these tools. Basecamp, Huddle and SharePoint
offer similar enterprise-level project management
and collaboration features, including file sharing and
commenting on tasks.
Ask your IT department about virtualization:
The tools mentioned above only scratch the surface
in whats possible with collaboration technologies.
Depending upon your companys size, complexity,
sensitivity and budgets, you may need a more highly
secure, redundant and / or enterprise-friendly solution.
Talk with your IT department about the type of
collaboration you want to achieve with your teams, and
see what suggestions they bring to the table.

Basecamp keeps you and your team on the same page

with intuitive task-management features.

12

Communicate with Teams across the Globe

Accessing documents, files and media with cloud tools
means that your team is no longer chained to a single
location. And the changing dynamics of the industry
mean youre probably already working with clients,
contractors or employees that you arent meeting with
in person.

In fact, a July 2009 Wainhouse Research study,

Benchmarking the Benefits of Videoconferencing
Deployments, found that both enterprises and small-tomedium businesses (SMBs) utilizing the technology cut
time-to-market by 24%.

Video and audio conferencing tools are a huge advantage

when you need to manage workflow among colleagues
scattered across the country or the world.

13

Jonathan Landeros, a 3Dconnexion user and

application engineer, knows what it takes to get
products out the door. Having technologies to
communicate with teams (especially when theyre
global) is key. He says:
Keep open lines of communication between your
vendors and shop floor. Many times they can
have input that will help improve your design by
making it easier to build and maintain.
Check into the following tools as options to help
streamline communications, better collaborate and
create, and save time during your R&D process.

Image courtesy of McCrorey Digital

14

Google Hangouts, FaceTime and Skype: Host

meetings, chat about design specs, look at flaws
together or replace phone calls entirely with these
conferencing tools. Videoconference with up to 10
people using Google Hangouts. Spend some one-on-one
time reviewing designs with FaceTime. Or, take part
in audio or video chat across oceans with Skype. Each
tool is free, though Skype has premium paid options
and callers will pay to dial physical phones from their
computers.
MightyMeeting and GoToMeeting: Share slides,
presentations and whiteboard drawings with
MightyMeeting. Take advantage of HD video
conferencing and patch people into your meeting via
phone or internet using GoToMeeting.

Both tools make meeting with geographically scattered

teams easy on a mobile device, computer or phone.
WebEx: An enterprise solution for large organizations,
WebEx helps you share your screen, whiteboard or
documents with dozens of meeting participants.
In addition, audio conferencing features mean that
participants can listen in via phone or internet.
Get the proper hardware and infrastructure in
place: Again, depending upon your business needs, you
may be best suited with a sophisticated, state-of-theart videoconferencing suite.
Talk with your IT department about your options.

15

CLOUD COMPUTING EFFICIENCY IN ACTION:

SKETCHTHIS KITCHEN DESIGN PLUGIN
3Dconnexion user and owner of SketchUp consultancy
SketchThis.Net Eric Schimelpfenig has spent his
career designing incredible kitchens and bathrooms
and now hes built a tool to streamline that process.
Ive been building a SketchUp plugin for kitchen
designers over the past few years. By downloading
a 100kb plugin, users can access a continuallyupdated catalog of dynamic cabinet components
for use in SketchUp designs. Many of the designs
are parametric, meaning the accessories know what
they are, and thus can only be placed where they
can actually be used in a real kitchen, and also that
they can be resized proportionally. As the alpha
tester, I use the plugin myself, and save tons of
timean average of 15 minutes per cabinet.

The entire catalog is hosted in the cloud, so

component updates can easily be made and pushed
out to all users. In addition, this structure essentially
deletes unused components from the users design
file, eliminating the use of large components that
often lead to system crashes.
Click here to learn more about the SketchThis.NET
Kitchen Design Plugin for SketchUp, and to request
beta access.

16

Use Mobile and Web Apps for Productivity on the Go

As mobile becomes a ubiquitous way of doing business,
forward-thinking engineers need to embrace the
burgeoning mechanical engineering app market. That
market is just developing, but there are already several
useful offerings available. Combined with some general
apps, watch your R&D process become leaner and more
productive with these tools.
Mechanical Engineer and MetaCalculator: Mechanical
Engineer provides comprehensive, mobile catalogs

of common formulas and sizing standards used by

engineers. MetaCalculator calculates volume, weight
and other properties for a variety of shapes, saving you
valuable time during the design process.
TurboViewer X: When you need to go mobile,
TurboViewer X is here to help. The app is a 2D and 3D
DWG file viewer for your smartphone or tablet. Using
screen gestures, rotate, zoom and navigate your CAD
models while in the field or on the go.

17

StayFocusd and LeechBlock: The first is a browser

add-on for Google Chrome; the second works with
Mozilla Firefox. Both will save you from yourself while
surfing the web. StayFocusd and LeechBlock block
time-wasting websites (think Facebook and Twitter),
forcing you to focus on the design task at hand. They
even include a nuclear option: once you block a site,
you must uninstall the add-ons to regain access.
FocusBooster and Pomodoro Time Management:
Both FocusBooster (for desktops and laptops) and
Pomodoro Time Management (for iPhones) take
advantage of the famous Pomodoro productivity
technique. Each sets a timer for 25 minutes. Once the
timers up, take a five minute break. Then, repeat the
process to carve out 25-minute blocks of high-focus
productivity time throughout your day.

The Pomodoro Time Management app breaks

your day into 25-minute productivity blocks.

18

RescueTime and TimeFox: RescueTime is the premier

time-tracking tool on the market. Itll analyze your
online habits and produce productivity reports based on
your internet usage.

These reports identify your peak productivity times.

TimeFox is another tracking tool thats useful for
monitoring exactly what you spend your time on (both
online and offline) each day.

RescueTime shows you exactly where all your time goes in a day.

19

SECTION 3

KICKSTART YOUR
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

20

Table manufacturer Paul Downs is all too familiar

with the ups and downs of global manufacturing.
His company, Paul Downs Cabinetmakers, was hit
hard by the crash of 2008. He laid off 65% of his
workforce (13 out of 20 workers), then replenished the
ranks to 14 after the economy sputtered back to life.
Now, his shop is more productive than it was when
20 people worked there2011s production topped $2
million in goods, compared to $1.5 million in 2005.

But efficiency shouldnt start on the production

floor. Get ahead of the game by quickening timelines
in the development, engineering and design phases of
your product development.
3D design technology can help. 3D CAD software, 3D
mice and 3D printers reduce mistakes, shorten
product-to-market timelines and improve
productivity.

Why?
Because increased manufacturing productivity isnt
just good for business, its a necessary part of the R&D
cycle in the face of rigorous global competition.

21

Produce Better Designs with 3D CAD

3D CAD software doesnt get enough love. Only
44% of those polled by the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) consider themselves
knowledgeable about the software.
Thats a shame, because it fuels manufacturing
productivity and R&D. With 3D CAD, you can:
Test designs before you build them.
3D CAD enables you to simulate everything from fluid
flows and vibrations to stress tests and load-bearing.
Instead of wasting budget and time manufacturing
prototypes, you identify design flaws before you send
products to the factory.

22

Produce Better Designs with 3D CAD (continued)

Make design changes quickly and easily.
Many 3D CAD packages are associative, which makes
tweaking designs simple. Modeling in appropriate
design intent allows you to maintain relationships
between features and parts, regardless of changes to
other parts of the model.
More efficiently manage documents and share
design data. Most 3D CAD programs are supported by
data management systems that allow engineers and
designers to share their work and collaborate on design,
making them more robust and cost effective. Each
step of the way, changes are integrated into design
documents, streamlining workflows and improving
collaboration.

Image courtesy of Skoda Auto

23

Produce Better Designs with 3D CAD (continued)

But its not just 3D CAD knowledge that poses an
issueits the complete skillset required of modern
engineers that is becoming a problem for many
organizations. Despite global economic concerns, signs
and surveys indicate that engineering jobs are available,
but that the employees needed to fill them are too few
and far between.
Engineered in Britain: Manufacturing a Successful
Economy, a 2012 report from the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers, found that although 76%
of manufacturers were seeking more staff, 41%
struggle to find employees with the right skills.
Specifically, recruiting candidates that are chartered
and incorporated engineers was cited as a challenge for
63% of those surveyed.

Paul McCrorey, founder of McCrorey Digital helps

companies present their designs in ways that build
credibility and competitive advantage:
I use my technical background and meld it
with my artistic background to help visually
communicate the concepts of my clients with
animation and motion graphics. Some of my
clients will give me a napkin drawing or a
concept they have in their head. From that I can
create a model in SolidWorks and import it into
an environment Ive created in Luxology modo.

24

GET THE MOST OUT OF 3D CAD SOFTWARE

WITH A POWERFUL GRAPHICS CARD
When using 3D CAD, its important to add a
powerful graphics card to your productivity
arsenal. Design software and the 3D models it
produces are becoming increasingly complex, and when
youre working quickly, you need to ensure that your
computer can keep up.
With a robust graphics processing unit (GPU), youll
navigate and model without lag or interruptions
caused by hardware during the design process.
Youll also be able to take advantage of quick load
times and intricate rendering features in your favorite
design software.

And thats what faster R&D is all about.

The end result is a design workflow that produces

more complex, more accurate models with
minimal roadblocks and maximum efficiency.

See how the engineers at MotoCzysz, an electric

motorcycle company, push SolidWorks to the limit
with powerful graphics cards from NVIDIA.
25

PRODUCE MORE WITH A 3D MOUSE

Working in 3D CAD requires precise positioning of parts
and assemblies, as well as extensive use of application
menus and shortcut keys. With a 3D mouse, you can
simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D content and
access application commands with built-in function
keys, while your other hand uses the standard mouse
to select, create and edit.
This two-handed work style improves productivity. CAD
design engineers are 21% more productive on average

when using a 3D mouse, according to a survey

conducted by the Technology Assessment Group.
Better performance accompanies these productivity
gains. According to the same study, 85% of CAD design
engineers said their designs improved when using a 3D
mouse. A full 84% said a 3D mouse helped them better
detect design errors. And nearly everyone said using a
3D mouse makes using CAD software more fun!

26

USE A 3D MOUSES FUNCTION KEYS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

3Dconnexion user Kevin Cox shared with us a pro tip
for programming a 3D mouses function keys to
enhance design productivity. This tip applies to 3D
mice with keyboard modifiers, such as the SpaceMouse
Pro or SpacePilot Pro.
Say you want to have multiple keyboard shortcuts, but
you dont want to use up two of your function keys. You
can program just one of your buttons to have only part
of the keyboard shortcut.

This clever tip means you dont need to use multiple

function keys for a single family of shortcuts.
When overhauling your design productivity, look
for families of shortcuts that have keystrokes
in common, and then map these common
keystrokes to function buttons.

For instance, 3Dconnexion 3D mouse users who want

to use multiple keyboard shortcuts such as CTRL-Z and
Shift- CTRL-Z can assign part of the shortcut (CTRL-Z)
to one 3D mouse function key and then use the
Shift key on the 3D mouse together with the
function key to activate the Shift-CTRL-Z command.
27

Produce Faster with 3D Printing

Rapid prototyping and fast iteration cycles are powerful
allies when budgets shrink or deadlines loom. A 3D printer
cost-consciously speeds up the manufacturing cycle.
A 3D printer takes a 3D CAD model and prints it out by
building up layers of additive material. One popular type
of additive material used in 3D printers is liquid plastic.
Using this process, a 3D printer can quickly produce
a product prototype or print iterations of a single
part. This physical model is useful for identifying design
flaws, experimenting with changes or modeling packaging
designsbefore you commit a single resource to a full
production line.

Image courtesy of Creative Tools via Flickr.

Rapid 3D prototyping and iteration cycles enhance

manufacturing productivity.

28

Produce Faster with 3D Printing (continued)

Have you ever faced a situation where you thought
you had an excellent design, machinery was set up to
manufacture a round of prototypes, and when you got
the samples, they just didnt work? This is just one
scenario in which 3D printing can be a huge time and
money-saver.
In addition, a 3D-printed sample can save huge amounts
of time in packaging development. Simply print a
prototype of your final design prior to full production,
and get your packaging specs and machinery ready to go
simultaneous to your product-manufacturing line.

Image courtesy of Creative Tools via Flickr.

And it doesnt cost much to start: professional-grade 3D

printers start as low as a couple thousand dollarsa
valuable investment even for the smallest firms,
especially when you consider the potential savings of
test-prints over test-runs.
29

Produce Faster with 3D Printing (continued)

Nathan Munoz, a 3Dconnexion user, is already seeing
the value of a 3D printer firsthand.
I am part of my schools robotics team. To solve
a problem that presented itself during our
design, we were presented with a choice: use
a manufactured part or manufacture one for
ourselves, or design the needed part in CAD and
print it out in 3D

So, I designed the needed part and printed it

out on our 3D printer. And after several tests,
the 3D printed part performed far beyond
my expectations and has actually become a
centerpiece in our robot design.

We discovered we could not use a manufactured

part since it would be inefficient with our design,
and manufacturing the part would be difficult and
also inefficient.

30

APPLYING LEAN METHODOLOGY IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Do your design teams work in long, complicated
production cycles, or iterative ones that look at
development piece by piece and get product in the
hands of consumers faster?

It has proven its power outside the manufacturing floor

most famously in software development, but the ideals
and methodology are sweeping the globe in many
industries as a way to out-perform the competition.

Lean methodology stems from the manufacturing

industrys lean manufacturing principle, made popular
by the Toyota Production System (TPS).

By viewing your teams design and engineering process

as a continuous Build-Measure-Learn Feedback
Loop, your aim is to cut the total time through this
cycle, and get a ready-to-manufacture product onto the
production floor faster.

Originally called just-in-time production ... the main

objectives of the TPS are to design out overburden and
inconsistency, and to eliminate waste.
It is this concept that drove automaker Toyota to the
forefront of global competition, and the methodology is
now being applied more broadly.

31

APPLYING LEAN METHODOLOGY IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING (continued)

How? Several of the tools mentioned in this guide can
help you on the way toward improved productivity and
shorter development cycles, but truly reconfiguring
your teams with a lean mindset and methodology
requires a total commitment, from process updates
to HR training.

The history: The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker

The concepts: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

The implementation: Running Lean by Ash Maurya

Here are some stellar resources to help you learn

more about lean methodology, how it can apply to your
processes, and help you get started on your path to
going lean:

32

SECTION 4

ASSEMBLE YOUR
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLKIT

33

On their own, these productivity tools and strategies

are powerful. Used together, theyre downright
unstoppable. Combine these tools and strategies into
one broad productivity plan and watch your entire
design cycle transform into a lean R&D machine.
But big changes start with small steps. Youll need
to improve your own habits and those of your team
before introducing enhanced productivity to your entire
organization.
First, collaborate more effectively with colleagues
inside the office and away from it with easy-to-use
solutions like GrabCAD, Dropbox and Basecamp that

provide file storage, document collaboration and easy

communication when working on design files or other
tasks.
Then, tap into the power of online video and audio
conferencing when deeper collaboration and creativity
is needed.
Google Hangouts is great for small groups; Skype is a
useful free option for one-on-one video interactions.
Larger organizations should consider a program
that supports dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of
participants, like WebEx or MightyMeeting.

34

When youre on-site or away from the office, mobile

apps take productivity to a new level.
From annotating designs in the field (Tinkercad) to
improving your own efficiency (FocusBooster), there are
many apps that can help improve your productivity
and more appear every day.
Finally, add innovative 3D technology into the mix to
speed up the design process itself:
3D CAD software enables you to design, visualize
and test products before committing any resources
to the production line.

Image courtesy of Duratec

3D printers make cost-conscious rapid

prototyping possible and reduce manufacturing
costs for design iterations.
A 3D mouse gives you more control over your
digital content, decreases errors, enhances user
comfort, and improves productivity.
Industry professionals agree: see what designers,
architects and engineers have to say about using a
3D mouse.

35

SECTION 5

TAKE THE
PRODUCTIVITY PLUNGE

36

You know that the playing fields changed.

An uncertain recovery. Tighter budgets. Rigorous global
competition. Welcome to the new normal.
Now, firms and industry professionals need to be
forward-thinking if they want to thrive. These tools
and strategies are here to help you do just that.
With them, youll tame inefficiency, streamline your
workflows and create a leaner, meaner R&D machine.
Many of them are free or low-costputting outsized
productivity returns within reach of even the smallest
organizations and teams.
But truly committing to productivity enhancement also
requires investment.

Its time to seriously consider your teams IT

infrastructure and tools available for collaboration,
innovative (and iterative) design and development,
and more.
Not to mention, a new commitment to training your
teams to utilize these tools and work with them
effectively.
In todays rigorously competitive global market,
things move fastwhich means theres no time
like the present to plunge into a world of more
productive tools and habits. Doing so means
improved efficiency, faster product-to-market cycles
and lightning-fast R&D.

37

ABOUT 3DCONNEXION
3Dconnexion makes 3D mice that revolutionize the way
people interact with 3D applications, providing a more
natural and intuitive way to interact with digital 3D
content.
By gently manipulating the controller cap, 3D mouse
users can simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate their
3D models or camera position while using the standard
mouse or tablet to select, create and edit.
Its an intuitive, balanced and cooperative work style
that results in increased productivity, improvements in
creativity and enhanced comfort.

Supported by todays most popular and powerful 3D

applications, 3Dconnexions award-winning 3D mice
serve a wide variety of industries and are used by
engineers, designers, architects and artists across the
globe.
3Dconnexions North American headquarters are in
Boston, Mass., with offices worldwide.
Stay up-to-date with all the latest company and
industry news via the 3DxBlog, Facebook and Twitter.

38

www.3dconnexion.com