The Designers at DE are expert users with 20+ years’ experience in SolidWorks, CATIA, AutoCAD and many other popular 3D CAD Packages.
DE is a CAD Design service provider as well Mechanical Engineering Consultants for many different companies and industries. DE’s team maintains a wide set of skills and proficiency across many different CAD packages:
Solidworks | CATIA V5 | AutoDesk Fusion | Autodesk Inventor | DraftSight | Geomagic Design X
3D Modeling:
Starting with a whiteboard sketch, napkin drawing, or even just a conversation with hand gestures. DE is capable of taking your idea from concept to a complete 3D model. From there, the sky is the limit (and sometimes we don’t even stop there). On top of just designing parts in 3D, we also offer model automation. If you have a product that is a derivative of a master design model we can help by building an equation based version of that model that can be driven using Excel design tables. This will allow anyone (even the sales guy) to build similar parts that can aid in the sales and quoting process without tying up mechanical engineering resources.
3D Assembly:
Combining anywhere from 3 up to a few thousand 3D components we are able to create accurate, and true-to-life assemblies for any project. This allows for us to perform structural tests, check for correct fit, look for clash, and determine the center of gravity and mass of any assembly all before a single part is manufactured.
2D Blue Prints / Drawings:
Create 2D blueprints that are linked to and updated from a 3D CAD model or assembly. DE can also assist with the construction of custom title blocks and print pages with smart properties. We can also take your Legacy 2D AutoCAD prints and turn them into full 3D assemblies that can be used to make engineering changes, enable integration of Legacy components into new designs, or allow for engineering records to be updated and kept easily accessible on current CAD systems.
Advanced 3D Surfacing:
Create and manipulate 3D surfaces for a endless variety of simple to complex parts ranging from machine nesting to consumer electronics. Surfacing is especially useful in plastic part design. DE has extensive experience in the design of parts for plastic injection molding.
Design for 3D Printing:
Designing parts for economical production as 3D printed plastic or metal components requires specialized knowledge and experience, due to DE’s close relationship with Forerunner 3D Printing we are experts in this field.
Sheet Metal Parts:
We design 3D sheet metal parts and assemblies which can be unfolded into flat patterns that can then be easily turned into 2D prints. These 2D prints come complete with bend lines for brake press operation and with .DXF files that are ready to be cut on plasma, waterjet, or laser equipment.
Weldment Parts:
We can create and design a full 3D weldment along with detailed 2D blueprints and cutlist / BOM. The blueprints guide in the cutting, assembly, and welding of the parts on the shop floor. These weldments range in size from small frames for desktop vending machines up to 3 story tall double wall vacuum chambers. Our weldment designs also commonly require clean up machining after they are welded, we produce specialized 2D prints to guide the machinist in this work.
Plastic Parts:
DE has extensive design experience on plastic parts that will be either injection molded, extruded, or vacuum formed. Our part designs incorporate the required drafts for tooling as well as properly designed features that will require slides or lifters for there creation. We pride ourselves on providing tool build shops part designs that do not need to be adjusted with engineering changes so they can be manufactured.
Photo Realistic Rendering:
Using the CAD data from your part or assembly, we are able to create marketing ready images to capture a complete perspective of your device. We built our own website entirely with renders we produced from projects we have worked on! Beyond making marketing images, DE specializes in generating black and white line drawings for use in instruction manuals and patent applications.
Data Management & SolidWorks PDM Vault Optimization:
We routinely deal with hundreds of assembly links, massive design trees, and complex filing systems. We routinely help customers set up and adopt new part numbering and revision control systems inside their mechanical engineering departments. DE also has experience in data translation between tier-one-suppliers and OEMs. We have also assisted with structuring workflows inside Solidworks PDM Vaults. As outside consultants we see how many different companies in various industries structure there data and bring those best practices to our data management work.
Plant Floor Layout:
Utilizing DraftSight 2D CAD allows for the creation of 2D plant blueprints which assist in renovations, expansions, or equipment layout. We can also bring in a FARO Focus Terrestrial Scanner in order to capture the as built condition of everything from robot cells to chicken barns.
CAM Programming:
Experience in writing and posting out NC programs to HAAS & HURCO Equipment using Autodesk Fusion 360 and MasterCAM. As a CAD Design Service provider, we pride ourselves on maintaining our manufacturing roots. CAM programming was DE’s first line of business in 2010.
Basic FEA analysis for Mechanical Engineering:
This allows us to complete design performance tests on your parts to determine the best materials to make your part from given their purpose. If more advanced FEA studies are required or a design needs to be stamped by a Professional Engineer (PE) DE has partnered with a national engineering firm to assist with these projects as well.
3D CAD Reverse Engineering:
With accuracy down to .002″, DE offers a Reverse Engineering service built to handle your most complicated parts and assemblies. Whether its Reverse Engineering tool and die components or Legacy Art Castings, we have you covered!
Your Remote Mechanical Engineering & CAD Design Service Provider:
As a Mechanical Engineering & CAD Design service provider DE has built up a special talent for working with both clients local to West Michigan as well as others across the state and around North America. Our staff works flexible hours to facilitate meetings in time slots that are convenient for our customers no matter where they are. We also have a conference room built out with a full telepresence meeting system to allow our Designers and Engineers to easily interface with remote teams in an efficient and collaborative way.