Mechanical Engineering Design - CAD

An insight into the Competition

Chief Expert of the Mechanical Engineering Design- CAD, Dario Pinto (Portugal) and Expert Matthew Bell (UK) gave us some insight on what to expect from their WorldSkills Competitors on the first day of Competition.

There will be live screens facing the public which can be watched by all as some of the best mechanical engineering designers from around the world make their Test Projects come to life.

During all four days of Competition, Competitors will do their work using Autodesk’s state-of-the-art design software specifically used for Mechanical Engineering Design. Autodesk has partnered with WorldSkills International as one of the official Mechanical Engineering and Design competition sponsors.

“We are deeply involved in education,” said Joe Astroth, Vice-president of Autodesk. “In fact, our involvement in education is the reason we have grown to be the company we are today.”

Day 1, Competitors will produce renderings of mechanical components, including the assembly process, from detailed blueprint drawings provided. Plenty of live photo rendering and animation will be expected from the Competitors.

Day 2, based on the International Standards Organization (ISO), Competitors will produce a detailed blueprint drawing. Autodesk software will also be used to create this drawing, with a live feed to the public screens.

Day 3 is a more advanced version of what was created on day 1 of Competition. The Competitors will develop a photo rendering and animation of a full mechanical system, including moving parts.

The final day of Competition will include an assignment called Reverse Engineering, where Competitors will be given a physical part, which they will then measure, draw, and model.

“Autodesk Inventor software was developed specifically for mechanical engineering,” said Mathew Bell. “It’s parametric modeling software that enables the user to create a 3D realisation of single parts, and of full mechanical assemblies, allowing designers to produce a visual representation for the client.”

This technology makes for a cost effective and environmentally friendly alternative to producing expensive mock-ups. Stress testing can even be done with these 3D models. Definitely a competition to check out this week!