Submitting a CAD file to a manufacturer may seem straightforward, but even small oversights can lead to costly revisions, delays, or parts that don’t fit as intended. Whether you’re ordering a prototype or preparing for production, taking a few minutes to review your design can save significant time and expense. Here are five essential checks every engineer should perform before sending a CAD file for manufacturing.
1. Verify Dimensions and Tolerances
Accurate dimensions and realistic tolerances are critical. Overly tight tolerances can increase manufacturing costs unnecessarily, while loose tolerances may compromise fit or function. At Ziqual, each part includes a Digital Nameplate Archive (DNA), ensuring all specifications are documented and consistently reproducible.
2. Review Wall Thickness
Thin walls are often a source of manufacturing challenges. Ensure your walls are suitable for the selected material and process. Inadequate thickness can result in warping, breakage, or parts that are impossible to produce. Ziqual’s DNA system captures machinist insights for challenging features, ensuring designs are both manufacturable and reliable.
3. Identify Undercuts and Complex Features
Undercuts, blind holes, or intricate internal features may require specialized tooling or additional operations. Highlight these areas in your design to prevent misinterpretation, reduce revisions, and maintain production schedules. Clear communication at this stage supports more efficient manufacturing.
4. Confirm File Format and Integrity
Ensure your CAD file is in a compatible format and that assemblies, layers, and references are intact. Standard formats such as STEP help prevent errors in translation and maintain the integrity of your design. Ziqual supports these widely accepted formats to facilitate a seamless handoff to manufacturing.
5. Provide Detailed Notes and References
CAD files cannot capture every nuance of a design. Include instructions on surface finishes, critical edges, or assembly requirements. This documentation enables machinists to produce parts accurately and consistently. With Ziqual, all notes are stored in the DNA, providing a permanent reference for reorders or production scaling.
Why This Matters
A careful review before submitting your CAD file improves accuracy, reduces iteration, and ensures parts are manufactured to specification. At Ziqual, every part comes with a traceable DNA—a comprehensive record of how it was made, what it was made from, and the associated machining notes. This system provides confidence, repeatability, and efficiency for every order.
Pro tip: Treat your CAD file as a blueprint for success. Investing a few minutes upfront can save hours—or even days—later in production.