Blog Post

Are 2D Drawings a Thing of the Past?

Oct 30, 2023

Today, 2D drawings are still used in both the engineering and manufacturing arenas. While some may believe that 2D drawings are falling the way of the dinosaur, we still need them to show details in parts, components, and assemblies. They are a fundamental part of engineering documentation. Manufacturers use 2D drawings as their main communication tool. In this blog, we will explore the reasons we believe that 2D drawings will remain an important modeling tool for engineering projects.

The Evolution of 2D Drawings:

Before there were computers, 2D drawings were used to define component specifications. With 2D drawings, engineers were able to navigate the creation of a product, simply by referencing the 2D rendering. The 2D drawing method of production dates to the beginnings of engineering information. Today, this history speaks to the importance of 2D drawings.


As 2D drawings were the sole conveyor of design information for millennia. That all changed with the introduction of computers and  3D software like Autodesk Inventor, and SolidWorks. The choice of CAD software depends on your specific needs and the industry you're working in. You may want to consider factors like your budget, the type of projects you'll be working on, and your familiarity with the software when selecting the right CAD program for your needs.



But before we look at 3D technology, let’s examine the things that are still relevant today with 2D drawings.

2D Drawings Are Better at the Details: 

2D drawings remain important in manufacturing and engineering, especially in the context of technical drawings, schematics, blueprints, and other forms of documentation. While 3D modeling has brought significant advancements and benefits to the field, 2D drawings remain the tangible item that anyone is able

2D Drawings Continue to Serve Critical Purposes:

  • Clear Documentation: 2D drawings are crucial for creating technical drawings that provide clear and precise instructions for manufacturing and assembly. These drawings convey essential details, dimensions, tolerances, and material specifications required for producing a component or product accurately.
  • Standard Representation: Many industries and regulatory bodies still rely on traditional 2D engineering drawings as the standard form of representation. These standardized drawings ensure uniformity and ease of interpretation across different stakeholders involved in the manufacturing process.
  • Legacy Systems and Processes: Numerous manufacturing processes, especially in established industries, are based on legacy systems and workflows that primarily use 2D documentation. Transitioning completely to 3D software may require significant investments in new tools and training, making 2D drawings necessary for maintaining existing processes. Our IT department can help you with legacy system integration. Learn more HERE.
  • Simplicity and Clarity: In some cases, 2D drawings are simpler and more efficient for representing certain aspects of a design. For straightforward components or for conveying specific details quickly and clearly, a 2D representation can be more effective than a complex 3D model.
  • Ease of Printing and Distribution: 2D drawings are easy to print, share, and distribute, especially in a paper-based format. They can be shared via email, included in reports, or printed for use in various stages of production, making them highly practical and accessible.
  • Historical Data and Archives: Many organizations have an extensive archive of 2D drawings and documents that contain valuable historical data. These records are often necessary for maintenance, repairs, or improvements, making 2D drawings indispensable for reference and continuity.
  • Integration with Existing Processes: 2D drawings are well-integrated into many existing engineering and manufacturing processes, including software systems and tools that are designed around 2D representation. These processes may not easily transition to a completely 3D-centric workflow.


"At this point, 2D drawings will still be relevant and useful in some respects, but the time we spend perfecting them or communicating information through them will be as small as possible. “ -Trevor English, Interesting Engineering


 

3D Revolutionized Design. 

3D Drawing on a desktop monitor

3D modeling has revolutionized the field of engineering in numerous ways, fundamentally changing the way engineers design, analyze, and communicate their ideas. Technology has expanded the capabilities of the way that engineers design and prototype. Seifert Technologies Engineering division embraced the tectonic shift with the emergence of new tools. Today, the engineers at Seifert continue to bring ideas to life through both 2D design and 3D renderings. 


Ways 3D Modeling Has Impacted Engineering:

  • Visualization and Design Iteration: 3D modeling allows engineers to create highly detailed and accurate visual representations of their designs. This enables them to visualize the final product or structure in a realistic manner, aiding in better decision-making and design iteration before physical prototypes are created.
  • Improved Design Accuracy and Precision:3D modeling provides engineers with precise measurements, angles, and dimensions, enhancing design accuracy. Engineers can create complex geometries with detailed features, ensuring components fit and function as intended.
  • Rapid Prototyping and Testing: 3D models can be used to create physical prototypes using 3D printing or other rapid prototyping technologies. This accelerates the product development cycle by allowing engineers to quickly test and validate their designs, identify issues, and make necessary improvements.
  • Simulation and Analysis: 3D models can be integrated with simulation software to analyze and simulate the behavior of a product or structure under various conditions. This helps engineers optimize designs for factors such as stress, heat distribution, fluid flow, and other parameters, ensuring the final product meets performance requirements.
  • Collaboration and Communication: 3D models facilitate better communication and collaboration among multidisciplinary teams. Engineers can share 3D models with colleagues and clients, making it easier for everyone to understand the design, offer feedback, and make informed decisions collectively.
  • Cost and Time Savings: By allowing engineers to identify and address design flaws early in the development process, 3D modeling reduces the costs associated with correcting errors during later stages of production. It also accelerates the design process, leading to faster time-to-market for products.
  • Customization and Personalization: 3D modeling enables engineers to easily customize designs to meet specific client requirements or adapt to unique conditions. This is particularly important in industries where customization or personalization is essential, such as medical devices or automotive components.
  • Digital Twin Concept: Engineers use 3D models to create digital twins of physical assets or systems. This virtual representation allows real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of the physical counterpart, leading to enhanced efficiency, maintenance, and sustainability.
  • Automation and Artificial Intelligence Integration: With advancements in AI, engineers can use 3D models as input for machine learning algorithms. AI can assist in automating design tasks, generating design options, predicting performance, and optimizing designs based on specified criteria. You can read more about this in our blog HERE.

How Can Seifert Technologies Help?

While 3D modeling has significantly impacted engineering by enhancing visualization, improving accuracy, accelerating the design process, enabling simulations, facilitating collaboration, and ultimately leading to more efficient and effective product development. 2D drawings still play an important role in both engineering and manufacturing. Although now a days 3D is preferred, our engineers at Seifert Technologies have the expertise to tackle a project using 2D or 3D.




By Seifert Technologies 20 Mar, 2024
Manufacturing can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution changed the way that manufacturers worked all over the world. There were inventions of new machines and technology. The new production made manufacturing cheaper, faster, and more efficient. The Industrial Revolution changed manufacturing for the modern world. In the First Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18 th century was a significant change in human history. It transitioned to industrial societies, fueled by innovations in textile manufacturing, steam power, and iron production. This period increased efficiency in the mass production of goods. The invention of the steam engine led to the increase of railways. The First Industrial Revolution was the first step in modernizing the world. The Second Industrial Revolution is known as the Technological Revolution. This happened in the mid-19th century and was known for the adoption of electric power. This transformed the manufacturing process in steel. It led to the invention of the telegraph, telephone, television, and radio. Advancement in transportation was drastically improved leading to increased urbanization. The Third Industrial Revolution is known as the Digital Revolution. It happened in the late 20 th century with digital technology. This was the rise of the internet and digital computers. This changed the way people interacted with each other. The World Wide Web was developed. This led to the digitalization of every known modern aspect of life. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is referred to as Industry 4.0. This revolution is known for technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, and robotics. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to have impacts on society to increase quality, production, and drive economic growth.
By Seifert Technologies 15 Mar, 2024
Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing are all ways that people try to get sensitive information from other people. They are all done in similar ways, but they have different ways of getting this information. It is important to know the difference between the three and how it looks when someone is getting targeted. Phishing Phishing is an online scam that gets sent to email accounts. It consists of getting sent a link or attachment from an unfamiliar email domain. When a user clicks on the link or attachment that is when the sender gets access to data. There are many different types of phishing to watch out for. Some of include spear, email, and whaling. Spear phishing is when someone specifically targets one person. They do this by adding their name, job, or social life. Whale phishing is when someone targets a big target like a manager, owner, or celebrities. They target these people since they have a lot of information on companies or other people. Smishing Smishing is a scam that gets sent as a text message (SMS). Scammers send a text to a target. The text that the target receives looks like a text from a trustworthy company. The scammers make the message look like it is the real company, and they send a link that they want the target to click on. There are different ways that these messages look. It can look like you won money or a prize. It can also look like a tax report or bank statement. Vishing Vishing is a scam where the target gets called over the phone rather than receiving a text message or email. The target is selected, and they call trying to convince them to download software for their device. How To Protect Yourself from All Three There are many ways to prevent these things from happening. Most importantly, do not click on links or attachments from unknown sources. Report suspicious emails, text messages, or calls that you receive. When you report these, you protect yourself and others from getting information taken. Seifert Technologies’ IT Division is your source for cybersecurity awareness. We are a registered agent of KnowB4 Products ( www.knowbe4.com ). These products implement sate of the art programs which: Send fully automated simulated phishing attacks, using thousands of customizable templates with unlimited usage Train your users with access to the world's largest library of always-fresh awareness training content AI-Driven phishing and training recommendations based on your users' phishing and training history Use Assessments to gauge proficiency of your users in security knowledge and security culture attitudes Easy user management using Active Directory Integration Contact our IT Service Team To learn more details about cybersecurity training contact us at (330) 833-2700 or sales@seifert.com. Please visit www.seifert.com/itservices for more information on our full range capabilities.
By Seifert Technologies 15 Dec, 2023
For over 10 years the team at Seifert Technologies has participated in the Toys for Tots program. Every year, our employees show their support by donating new toys which are then delivered to local area families. It is an awesome way to give back to our Stark County community. We also want to thank all of our employees for their wonderful donations. Way to go team!
By Seifert Technologies 15 Dec, 2023
Last month we celebrated a very special evening. Leslie Callahan, who has been with our firm since the beginning years, celebrated her 30th year with the organization. Team members from both our offices in Massillon and Nashville gathered to celebrate this well-deserved accomplishment.
27 Nov, 2023
At Seifert Associates, we have been meeting the challenges of hiring technical talent for decades. Finding the right candidate for the right position can be a challenge. Thus, we have put together a list of the top questions we get from HR and give ideas on how to overcome the challenges we face in today’s job market. What Are the Top Hiring Challenges Today? First, we must talk about current hiring challenges. Today, employers encounter new recruitment hurdles as the job market progresses. Employers' obstacles and difficulties arise when it comes to recruiting and hiring qualified candidates. These challenges can come in many forms, such as a shortage of skilled workers, a highly competitive job market, or a lack of diversity and inclusion in the hiring process. The rapid changes in both technology and the evolving job market also contribute to these hiring challenges. Employers must overcome these hiring challenges to attract and retain top talent, as well as build a thriving workforce to drive organizational growth and success. Here is a List of the Top Concerns for Hiring: Finding Quality Candidates Attracting the right talent for a technical position is an employer's foremost concern. The more skilled the requirements are, the more the employee is sought after. With a limited workforce and intense competition for top-tier candidates, employers struggle when it comes to finding technical talent. Along with that, employers struggle to engage with candidates who are not actively seeking a new position. We spoke about the importance of collaborating with a recruiter who has strong experience with finding technical candidates in a previous blog, which you can review HERE . Attracting the Right Technical Talent Another challenge that employers face is attracting the right talent for a technical position. Highly skilled candidates today look for more than just a competitive salary. Candidates want to collaborate with a company that has a quality work culture. But they also want to seek employment with companies who share the same values, as well as have great benefits and a good understanding of work life balance. In fact, 46% of job seekers cite company culture as very important when choosing to apply to a company, and a shocking 47% of employees cite that company culture is the driving factor when looking for a new job. Skills Gap and Training
09 Nov, 2023
Seifert Technologies was pleased to host the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership group’s monthly meeting at our office in September 2023. We were proud to showcase our skills related to Automation and Machine Design and to the more than 40 members that came to the event. Stark County Manufacturing Workforce is a group of dedicated professionals that are committed to the support of manufacturer’s growth and expansion by offering education and career pathways within the manufacturing community. Showing them what local companies are doing in the areas to accelerate excellence in both local and national companies is always wonderful. Stark County has so much to offer. Seifert Technologies Showcased 7 Different Stations for SCMWDP Member Including:
Website or Mobile App? What are the Pros and Cons?
23 Oct, 2023
In this blog, the team at Seifert Technologies is going to walk you through the pros and cons of websites and mobile applications.
23 Oct, 2023
Thank you to everyone who attended our Cleveland Technology Symposium. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of the event. The Engineering Division Utilizes State-of-the-Art Design Tools
10 Oct, 2023
SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor are two popular computer-aided design (CAD) software programs used in the field of mechanical engineering and product design. Both programs are powerful and offer a wide range of features, but they have some differences that may make one more suitable than the other depending on your specific needs and preferences. In this article we are going to compare the two solutions. A Comparison of SolidWorks vs. Autodesk Inventor: Many businesses might make an assumption that because the two software look similar, they function similarly. In many ways that can be true. However, if you are looking to find the right software for your business footprint you may not want to just flip a coin to decide on one.
28 Sep, 2023
The decision of whether to have servers on-premises or in the cloud depends on numerous factors, including your specific needs, budget, and technical requirements. Not every solution is right for every client. It is important to evaluate all your options before investing in technology for your business. That is where Seifert Technologies team can help. We have been working in the technology field for decades helping clients choose the right technology solutions for their business models. What is a Server: First, let’s look at what a server is. A server is a computer or system providing resources, data, services, or programs to other computers, known as clients, over a network. That server can be either accessed through the internet or accessed by computers on-premise. Servers essentially provide "services", such as sharing data or resources among multiple clients or performing computations for a client. A server can be a computer, software program, or even a storage device. It can provide one service or several. Typical types of servers include database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers. Physical vs. Virtual Servers: A physical server is a computer hardware “box” that houses main boards, processors, memory, storage, fans, and power supplies to support the server services. It can run a single instance of a server operating system, or it can function as a hypervisor hosting multiple virtual servers. A virtual server is a single instance of an operating system running server services; it is a program that is running on a physical server. Because a virtual server is reliant on physical server hardware, there are limitations on how many virtual servers can run on a physical server. This is why planning your environment is important, to make sure you have the horsepower required to run your server infrastructure, whether that’s in the cloud or on-premise. What is the Difference Between a Cloud or On-Premise Server: A cloud server and an on-premise server refer to two different approaches to hosting and managing computer resources. The difference between a cloud server and an on-premise server is just where the server is located, and how you pay for the hardware that is running the virtual servers. On-premise servers are located within your buildings, on equipment you have purchased or leased. Cloud servers run in a hosting facility somewhere that is accessible via the internet, and you pay monthly for the use of that equipment. You can make your on-premise servers securely accessible from the internet, making your own private cloud servers. Advantages of On-Premise Servers:
More Posts
Share by: