Autocad for mechanical engineering?

[Anonymous]

I am signed up for an autocad class for the winter season, but I was just talking to a friend who advised me not to take it. We are both studying mechanical engineering and he said that autocad is more useful for civil engineers and that I'd be better off self teaching one of the more relevant (for a mechanical engineer) modeling programs. Is this true? If so, what are some of the more common programs for a ME to use in the field that I might be able to self teach over the break?

[cheryl.buck · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the AutoCAD Community forums! 

That is a great question. I can share my own experience and others I know who are also in the Mechanical Engineering industry. 

I took advanced classed for AutoCAD, 2 different CAM applications, and 4 different solid modeling applications. For each of the jobs I have had since, AutoCAD was the primary application, even though I also used several other applications as well. This still seems to be the common workflow for many businesses. 

It may help to contact companies in fields you are interested in to find out what they use. This will give you a feel for what skills will be most useful. 

Please let me know if that helps.

You can use the Accept Solution button to mark any posts that provide the answer or solution.

Likes are always welcome.

All the best,

[engineering · Accepted solution]

I have been using AutoCAD since R13 and still use it heavily to this day. It has always been a staple in mechanical engineering. While it is true that a lot, if not the majority of mechanical engineering has moved to solid modeling, when I started using AutoCAD it was for automation/machinery design, and your end product is usually still a 2D print. Taking the class will help you with drafting basics such as orthographic projection (1st and 3rd angle), dimensioning techniques, etc.

In terms of designing equipment or machines with a large number of components, you will want an overall plan or concept to start off with. Nothing works better or faster for this than AutoCAD. If you are designing from scratch in inventor without a game plan, you will be endlessly editing components in the assembly every time a small change takes place.

You can always tell which new grads have at least some AutoCAD experience. 😉

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I would recommend that you take the AutoCAD class in the coming semester. In the class you will learn the principles of proper design practices. If a designer or engineer is unable to clearly define their design to the shop, it is a wasted effort.

Another fact, many of these companies that have moved on to 3D design software still maintain AutoCAD as a legacy program.

[eddiemedi_n_a_52_12_4]

AutoCAD remains highly relevant for mechanical engineers, especially when it comes to creating precise 2D layouts, technical drawings, and schematics. While solid modeling software such as SolidWorks, Inventor, or CATIA has grown in popularity for 3D design, having a solid foundation in AutoCAD helps in understanding drafting principles, dimensioning, and tolerances that are crucial in any mechanical project.

Companies like Radley Engineering  in Europe often combine both AutoCAD and 3D modeling software for industrial manufacturing and specialised fabrication projects. Engineers there use AutoCAD for initial plans and technical drawings before moving into more complex assemblies, which shows that the software is far from obsolete in mechanical engineering applications.

If self-learning is an option over the break, focusing on SolidWorks or Autodesk Inventor would be practical, but complementing that knowledge with AutoCAD will give a strong competitive advantage.