It is imperative that your company stays abreast of technology as it applies to making products, as it is here that some of your competitors are gaining market share by implementing better processes. This is where solid modeling fits in. WHY THE HYPE Solid modeling has been around for a long time. Over the years the benefits have been increasing, while the costs have been dropping. Every year, the picture changes.
New products are on the market that run on different machines and have different capabilities.
Every few years, engineers hear about the power of 3D modeling, and while we keep hearing the same story, the actual underlying technical capabilities change from year to year. I've been using CAD software since 1978 when I worked at Mack Trucks. We purchased an Applicon 3D system with the intent to design and document everything in 3D wireframe. We were told how to make a 3D model, add dimensions to the model views, and plot a drawing. Well, let me say that in those days, there was a lot of naivet towards all that CAD stuff and its true capabilities.