Why did Skip Barber Racing School switch from AUTOCAD 2D design tools to SolidWorks?
The Skip Barber Racing School is the world’s largest racing and driving school, instructing nearly 12,000 students annually. Because maintaining the school’s fleet of over 150 racecars using AutoCAD 2D design tools had become increasingly difficult, the company began evaluating available 3D CAD packages in 2005. Skip Barber engineers hoped to improve the handling of large assemblies as well as enhance productivity.
The company chose SolidWorks software because of its value, ease of use, and compatibility with strategic partners and vendors. They were also impressed with the software’s large-assembly and sheet-metal design capabilities, as well as its integrated COSMOSWorks analysis, PDMWorks product data management (PDM), and eDrawings design communications applications. By deploying SolidWorks software, Skip Barber Racing reduced design time by as much as 80 percent, improved racecar performance, cut development costs, and minimized design errors.
“AutoCAD® was too much work, and making changes was very cumbersome,” said James Achard, lead engineer for operations at Skip Barber Racing School. “When we design in SolidWorks, the outcome is right the first time, which lets us finish projects faster and save money on expensive track testing time. Moreover, SolidWorks streamlines design processes, freeing us to be more creative so we can design better products.”
Why product designers are moving from AUTOCAD to SolidWorks
Produce 2D drawings automatically
Construct production-ready, detailed drawings automatically, without drawing a single line or arc. SolidWorks eliminates time-consuming drawing view creation, manipulation, and maintenance.
Revise drawings easily
Each modification that you make to a 2D drawing or 3D model created with SolidWorks software is reflected accurately throughout all associated views, sheets, and drawings. All drawing views, dimensions, and annotations update automatically.
Eliminate guesswork with associative dimensions
Adding, referencing, or changing a dimension value in a drawing or part model is easy with SolidWorks software. The geometry updates automatically to accommodate each change, eliminating inconsistencies, so you can always be confident in the accuracy of SolidWorks drawings.
Generate bills of materials instantly
Speed the development of drawings for designs that contain hundreds or thousands or parts by generating bills of materials (BOMs) and balloons automatically.
Let CAPINC show you why SolidWorks is the best choice for AutoCAD users. In our SolidWorks 3D Skills Training, you will get a hands-on introduction to using SolidWorks as well as a copy of SolidWorks Personal Edition.
Familiarize yourself with the powerful, easy to use, intuitive and innovative SolidWorks interface
Evaluate more design alternatives, reduce errors, and enhance product quality
Explore the solid modeling power and performance to get any job done
Use familiar Windows functions like drag-and-drop, point-and-click, and cut-and-paste, allowing you to become productive quickly
SolidWorks software allows you to test and revise product designs easily, so you can get design work done 20-30% faster. Not only is SolidWorks easy to learn and use, it offers unmatched compatibility with AutoCAD software and other CAD systems.
2) Try the free tools
DWGseries is a set of FREE software tools created for current and former AutoCAD software users who need to open, edit, create, and share DWG data more effectively with others. Download DWG Gateway
The drawing on the left contains many types of entities, as well as various layers, colors, and line styles. However, once brought into the SolidWorks Drawing module, everything translated perfectly (image on right).
3) Do your own research
View case studies highlighting organizations that have made the transition from working with AutoCAD to designing in 3D with SolidWorks software. These case studies cover a broad range of industries, including specific challenges, software selection criteria, and return on investment. AUTOCAD to SolidWorks Case Studies
