Have you ever wondered what goes into product design? The path from an innovative idea to the finished product has many elements, designers, and steps involved. The job of a product design engineer requires high-level thinking, creativity, innovation, and communication. That’s why there are a few key tools that a product design engineer uses to ensure that designs, upgrades, and modifications all go as smoothly as possible.
Here are 8 of the most common product design tools used by product design engineers:
1) Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
Many people have heard of CAD software, though they may not realize its vast capabilities. CAD is the digital form of manual drafting, and is used in a wide variety of engineering, architectural, and design applications. A product design engineer may use CAD software in many stages of the design process, from initial visualization to creating construction documentation.
2) Project Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software
PLM helps product design engineer teams keep track of the progress of a project, from inception to manufacture. It helps to organize the people, data, and systems that all go into product design to make sure that the design process runs as smoothly as possible.
3) Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Software
FEA provides computer simulations that test certain aspects of a new product. A product design engineer may use it to analyze the strength of simulated objects or structures before traditional physical testing is done.
4) Simulation software
Many product design engineers use one or more of the many simulation software programs available. Simulation software allows the engineers to test the product digitally in a variety of ways before the prototype has been completed.
5) 3D Printer
3D printers are a great tool to help a product design engineer visualize a final product. Engineers can print prototypes of components or entire projects to better understand how the design translates into three dimensions.
6) Manual Tools
A product design engineer uses all types of digital technology, but they still will often use pencil, paper, rulers, workbench, and tooling machines to help with the design process.
The work of a product design engineer can be very complex and requires specialized training and tools like the ones above. If you have an innovative idea that you would like to put into production, the best path is to work with a product design firm that specializes in this type of work. They are able to take your idea through the steps required to produce a finished, manufacturable design. Companies like Integrated Design Systems employ highly skilled and experienced design teams that understand the intricacies of industrial and medical design, analytical testing, product aesthetics, and branding.
Integrated Design Systems is a leading product design firm that can see the possibilities in your ideas. They transform your innovative ideas and help you to bring them to life. The product design engineering team at Integrated Design Systems has over 35 years of experience in producing award-winning products. They are known for their outside-the-box thinking, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Contact us for more details.