3D modeling software is now an essential tool for a lot of industries. Engineers and designers are actually making the most of these advanced software tools, useful for many applications, from simulation to manufacturing. We have already made CAD software selections for many diverse applications on the blog. In this blog post, we are going to focus on the best design software that will help you to give shape to your technical parts for mechanical engineering projects. We will also see all the benefits of 3D printing and 3D visualization for mechanical projects. Follow the guide!

The use of 3D for mechanical engineering projects

The benefits of 3D printing for your projects

If you read our blog, you should know it now: 3D printing is an amazing manufacturing method for both production and prototyping. 3D printing for mechanical engineering projects will allow you to make many modifications and iterations quite quickly and at a lower cost, which is very convenient for a prototyping process. Indeed, you will only have to use a 3D modeling software and make all the modifications that you need to improve your 3D models step by step.

Using a mechanical engineering software could allow you to work directly for production. You could even use various materials to design really complex parts. You could even use metal 3D printing as it is allowing to create really accurate, heat resistant and well designed parts. It is for example used in the automotive industry but also for aeronautics and aerospace. Additive manufacturing has a lot to offer to your company. To do so, modeling and simulating are essential and you will need 3D CAD software with advanced features.

3D visualization: An essential tool

Some 3D software solutions really have amazing rendering tools. Using  visualization software or 3D modeling software with great visualization options can help you to get a better overview of your project. Indeed, getting a good and precise overview of a technical project before the manufacturing process will allow you to adjust and improve your parts efficiently. It is also a good method to correct the last errors that you have maybe missed while 3D designing.

You need to find the best way to design a concept and show it to your customers? 3D visualization is certainly the best method you could find! You can easily modify your model with your ideas, and the customer’s inputs.

If you are working on mechanical projects, you certainly know that design and analysis are essential. That is why we recommend you to use software with great analysis features, or another software tool, entirely dedicated to simulation and analysis, such as ANSYS.

Best 3D modeling software for mechanical engineering

There are many software solutions with advanced features that will allow you to work on really technical projects. Here is our selection of the best software to work with for your next mechanical engineering projects. Find out all the modelling and design tools that you need.

Fusion 360

Fusion 360 is a great CAD software tool developed by Autodesk. This a cloud-based program, that will allow you to improve your teamwork thanks to a better communication around your mechanical projects. This program has advanced software tools, you will be able to work on solid modelling, mesh modelling and parametric modelling.

 Prepare your model for 3D Printing with Fusion 360

This tutorial is designed for users of Fusion 360 who are interested in 3D printing and wish to know the optimal way to successfully create a printable model using this software.

The tutorial will provide users with practical guidelines for modeling, optimizing and exporting an object for 3D printing. At the end of this 3D printing tutorial, you will know:

·         Modeling for 3D printing with Fusion 360

·         Analyzing and exporting your 3D file optimally for 3D printing

·         Correct any modeling problems

Then, you will be able to upload your 3D models on our website and 3D print them!

Fusion 360 is a simple and powerful ergonomic Computer Aided Design (CAD) software developed by Autodesk, often used for 3D printing projects. 

Initially conceived for small and medium enterprises (SME) and designers, this 3D modeling software is increasingly being used by a diverse population of people in the home and office setting. 

This 3D CAD software provides a number of modules that are effective for a large range of applications including sketching, sculpting, and the ability to generate complex curved services, which can subsequently be turned into three-dimensional outputs and 3D printed products.  This 3D design software is also affordable with a free 30-days trial.

Consistent with his pre-existing Cloud strategy, Autodesk has developed Fusion 360 to be accessible for collaborative design to promote innovation and synergetic activities between teams of a design agency or an SME. Its user interface is easy to get started with and will make it simple for any CAD designer to create its STL files, ready for 3D printers, and give birth to great 3D printing projects. 

This 3D design tool can be downloaded from the Autodesk website. There are several options, from a free 1-year trial version to the ultimate version of this 3D design tool. 

There is a dynamic 3D CAD designer community that is working with Autodesk Fusion 360. Although this 3D design software is not open source, Autodesk allows users to develop (add-in) applications and make them available on their platform. This allows each user to customize their 3D CAD software to best suit their needs.

In this 3D printing tutorial, we will introduce you to the 3D features of Autodesk Fusion 360. We will also give you special tips to create the best 3D printed products, and to optimize your files for the additive manufacturing technology. After this introduction to Fusion 360, you should be ready to send us your 3D model. Just make your choice between our 3D printing materials, and place your order! Do you need a bit more help before getting started with additive manufacturing? You will find many video tutorials on YouTube to help you create great 3D models!