How AI is Revolutionising CAD Systems in 2024

Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we use CAD, much like parametric solid modeling did when it replaced 3D wireframe and surface modeling. It’s making design faster, more intuitive, and helping Designers explore new ideas more efficiently.

Like early solid modelling was initially limited to simpler shapes, AI in CAD still has some way to go. While AI-generated designs can be an excellent starting point, they often require careful adjustment. Designers need to review and fine-tune these outputs to ensure they meet all functional and aesthetic requirements. To effectively apply AI tools, comprehensive training is essential. As AI technology evolves, ongoing research and refinement will be key in unlocking its full potential in CAD design.

Here’s how some of the latest CAD tools are using AI to reinvent the design environment, much like solid modelling did decades ago:

Autodesk Fusion: Revolutionising Design with AI-Driven Efficiency

Autodesk Fusion, a cloud-based platform, uses AI-powered tools to enhance design: such as:

• Generative Design: AI explores design options based on material and load conditions, often finding solutions faster than traditional methods, though setup can be complex.
• Automated Modelling: Quickly generates editable design options with minimal effort. Simply select the faces to connect, avoid certain bodies, and click ‘Generate Shapes’ to start.
• Drawing Automation: Introduces templates for one-click drawing generation, along with AI-powered Auto Dimensions and Tidy Up commands to streamline drawing preparation.

These tools simplify the creation, evaluation, and adjustment of designs, allowing designers to integrate results into their Fusion workflows for final touches. For instance, GM uses Fusion 360 to support various aspects of vehicle design, prototyping, and manufacturing, benefiting from its collaborative and cloud-based tools.

SolidWorks: Smarter Design with AI-Powered Assistants

SolidWorks, within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, enhances CAD design with AI-powered tools like:

• Selection Helper: Suggests which parts to select next, speeding up repetitive tasks.
• Mate Helper: Automates and optimises component placement and alignment.
• Sketch Helper: Accelerates sketch creation by predicting and duplicating entities.
• Smart Mate: Ensures precise component alignment.
• Topology Optimization: Uses algorithms to create functional, material-efficient designs.

These AI tools make the design process smoother, allowing designers spend more on creativity while the software handles repetitive tasks. Caterpillar, for example, uses SolidWorks’ AI-powered Design Assistant tools to improve their design processes for complex machinery components.

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PTC Creo: AI in Engineering Excellence

PTC Creo simplifies complex engineering tasks with AI-powered tools, including:

• Generative Design: Provides multiple design options based on your parameters, allowing for easy refinement and improvement. You can regenerate designs with new constraints if needed.
• Simulation Live: Offers real-time suggestions based on previous inputs, helping you quickly enhance designs, especially under time constraints or uncertainty.
• Human Factor Analysis: Suggests optimisations early in the design process to improve weight reduction and structural integrity.

These tools streamline the design process, making it easier to create, test, and refine engineering solutions efficiently. For instance, Whirlpool uses PTC Creo’s AI-powered tools to optimise the design of household appliances.

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Siemens NX: Real-Time AI Feedback

Siemens NX, a leader in AI-driven design, offers real-time feedback and advanced tools to enhance your engineering process such as:

• Performance Predictor: Validates material choices and mechanical performance in real time.
• Topology Optimization, Lattice Designer, and Implicit Modelling: Automate workflows and create complex geometries that traditional CAD methods can’t handle.
• Command Prediction: Uses machine learning to suggest the best commands based on past interactions, improving navigation.
• Voice Command Assistant: Allows control of NX through voice commands, streamlining workflows and creating custom voice-enabled skills.
• Select Similar Faces: Identifies and selects geometrically similar regions across multiple components, simplifying bulk operations.

Siemens NX also features NX X, a cloud-based version integrated with Teamcenter for enhanced PLM, and NX Immersive Explorer, which offers a virtual reality design review experience. Boeing employs Siemens NX’s AI-driven tools for advanced design and optimisation of aircraft components.

Dassault Systèmes CATIA: Function-Driven Generative Design

CATIA’s Function Driven Generative Designer focuses on advanced design capabilities:

• Function-Driven Design: Aligns designs with functional requirements for optimal performance.
• Generative Shape Design: Creates complex shapes based on functions and constraints.
• Integration with Simulation: Tests and validates designs early in the process, reducing the need for physical prototypes.
• Topological Optimization: Enhances material usage and structural performance.
• Additive Manufacturing Focus: Optimises designs for 3D printing and complex geometries.

These features help designers create more efficient and effective solutions, making sure performance and manufacturability are considered from the outset. For example, Samsung leverages CATIA's AI tools to improve the design and development of its consumer electronics, like smartphones and home appliances.

Watch Automated Modelling and Generative Design in Action

Fusion 360 video demonstrating Automated Modelling command by Product Design Online:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9etof3RqlA

NX AI-enabled and generative design video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9_U2EI0Sdw

Embrace the Future Today

AI in CAD isn’t here to replace designers. It helps by handling repetitive tasks, suggesting better design options, and speeding up the process. This allows designers to focus more on creativity and problem-solving, leading to smarter and more efficient solutions. Have you come across any AI tools in CAD that stand out to you?