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A large CAD conversion job is when you bring in an outsourced team to handle a lot of CAD or engineering work for you. It can involve updating hundreds of files, creating new ones, or optimizing the parts that are currently in your library. At CAD/CAM Services, we’ve...

What are you supposed to do with a drawer full of hand-drawn engineering drawings? If you want to update them, make a 3D model, or digitize them, it starts with a CAD conversion. This process takes some effort and time, but the results speak for themselves. In this...

Getting the right file types is incredibly important in engineering. Without an STL file, you can’t do any 3D printing. So, how are you supposed to convert your CATIA CATPart into an STL file? Our experts at CAD/CAM Services will walk you through the steps in this...

Finding the right CAD software to make a professional airplane model is harder than it sounds. There are a lot of options on the market, but a lot of them don’t have the power and usability to create an airplane model that works.  In this quick guide, we’ll explain...

When it comes to designing an aircraft, the wings are arguably the most important feature. Wing design is a complex piece of engineering that requires careful design and attention to detail. One of the most advanced software applications used to design aerospace...

Sometimes you might need help with your mechanical CAD drafting, and you might not even realize it. So many companies overextend their engineers, and the final product suffers. Today, companies trust outsourced options like CAD/CAM Services to get top-notch CAD...

Saving money is a goal for most engineering and manufacturing companies we talk to. Whenever CAD models are needed, you might look at a dozen different ways to cut back on costs. Have you considered one of the best money-savers: outsourcing?  In this guide, we’ll...

How can you know if you’re overpaying and getting tricked when it comes to CAD drafting services? A lot of outsourced engineering companies are secretive when it comes to pricing, and that makes it easy for them to scam you. At CAD/CAM Services, we’ve always been...

In the engineering world, it’s nice to get help every once in a while. There are so many things to consider and constant fires that you have to put out. This is why so many companies bring in a 3D CAD drafting service to expedite their project and save money. In this...

When you decide to outsource your CAD work, you’ll have to do some homework. The first step is to find a high-quality CAD design service that can handle your project and deliver exceptional results. How do you get started? This guide will answer your questions. We’ll...

The importance of good mold design in manufacturing cannot be overstated. For a lot of businesses, the key to staying competitive and profitable lies in the accuracy and efficiency of their mold designs. And when it comes to mold design, CATIA V5 is one of the most...

The growing complexity of design and manufacturing processes today is driving the need for more efficient design and development tools. To stay competitive, companies need to find new ways to speed up these processes and reduce costs, all without compromising on...

If you have any hand-drawn or computer-scanned engineering files within your company, you’re due for a CAD conversion. This process is trickier than it sounds, but it’s a lot easier when you outsource the work. In this guide, we’ll explain why you need a professional...

In a design world brimming with innovation and competition, standing out is key. It's crucial to ensure your SolidWorks models capture attention for their quality, clarity, and creativity. But how can you achieve this? You’re about to learn ten expert tips to elevate...

In the world of engineering, everything breaks down to efficiency and optimization. You apply it to your production facility, designs, or parts on a daily basis. To further optimize your process, you should consider using the right CAD program. This is why so many...

Everyone knows that 3D printers are the newest way to quickly make parts at low costs and fast turnarounds, but that’s only possible with the right file types. In this guide, we’re going to introduce STL models. We’ll explain why they’re great, why engineers love...

If you have a stack of hand-drawn 2D engineering drawings, you’re limited in what your company can do. Ideally, all of these should be converted into 3D models so you can get quotes faster, create parts quicker, and have more confidence in every design. In this guide,...

If you’ve been designing your products with 2D tools but want to transition to 3D models, then a good software for this purpose would be SolidWorks. However, you do not make the make mistake of performing the conversion yourself. Instead, use a CAD / CAM service to...

Having a folder full of PDFs might look good on paper, but it’s pretty useless for any engineer. You can’t adjust the design, make the part 3D, or change anything about your PDF drawing. You need to convert it into a usable CAD file, like a DXF, DWG, or HPGL, but how...

Finding the right CAD program is the first step to making professional drawings. With so many on the market, it might be hard to pick just one CAD program. Many companies choose CATIA V5 for their CAD drafting to save time and money. In this quick guide, we’ll give...

As your engineering department becomes more efficient and optimized, you might start searching for ways to further increase your productivity. Many modern companies are realizing that raster images aren’t worth it anymore, and they are converting to vector files. As a...

If you have a library of hand drawings that you need to digitize, you’re likely facing a conversion. You would have to convert the scanned image into an AutoCAD model (which sounds easier than it is). This is a very manual process, and it can take a lot of time. In...

When Wide Format Just isn't Enough 54" large format proven the technology for large digital documents Contex HD5430 PLUS and HD5450 PLUS The Contex HD 5400 wide format scanner is fast and steady with up to 12 inch/second scanning speeds. Truly a workhorse that can...

In many engineering and manufacturing projects, “good” isn’t good enough — you need “perfect”. Well, when it comes to perfect, no outsourced CAD team does it quite like CAD/CAM Services. Our work is always CAD Perfect, and this guide will teach you what that is, how...

Texas-based CAD / CAM Services has been a global center of excellence for a paper to CAD conversion services since 1988.We have been awarded the AS9100 and GSA certificates and we are one (1) of the few authorized CAD Conversion companies certified by the Department...

If your organization has old Mylar drawings, and you're thinking about converting them to CAD, you've come to the right place. (Mylar is a trade name for BOPET (biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate) polyester film, which has been widely used by engineering...

CAD Conversion for Small Jobs CAD Conversion can be confusing because it can cover so many different topics:  Scan to CAD, Raster to Vector Conversion, 2D to 3D Conversion, CAD File Translations, and more.  But the bottom line for all of these different types of CAD...

Is Large Format Scanning Part of Your EDM Plan? Most organizations acknowledge the need for Electronic Document Management (EDM).  However, many consider only their office-size documents when they implement their EDM.  If you haven’t considered the importance of your...

Raster to Vector conversion starts with a digital raster file that was created during the process of scanning. Raster files are made up of pixels, while vector files are made up of lines. Most often the types of drawings that are converted from raster to vector are...

Understanding more about engineering CAD drafting and the newest trends is a great way to stay ahead of your competitors. Some easy trends like outsourcing can save your engineering team a lot of time and money on every project you complete. In this guide, you’ll...

CAD Raster to Vector Conversion – DIY or Outsource? When it’s time to convert your scanned blueprints, floor plans or mechanical drawings to CAD,  deciding whether to Do It Yourself (DIY), or hire a raster to vector conversion service to do the work can be confusing. ...

Large Format Scanning -- What You Need to Know Do you have large format paper drawings or maps that you’re considering scanning to digital formats?  If so you’re not alone.  Nearly every day we talk to someone who has flat files full of old drawings that they need to...

We’ve talked to a lot of companies who have paper maps in a backroom that can’t do anything. Without a 2D or 3D vector image of your map, data like boundaries and roads can’t be digitized, shared, or used in a GIS. This is why so many people rely on our experts to...

How to Convert One Thousand 3D CAD Files Daily Introduction Ever wonder how you can speed up your 3D CAD conversions?  Consider the plight of one company that had over 150,000 parts drawings that they needed to convert into 3D models in order to make them available...

If you have a single aerospace Mylar drawing, you already know its limitations. These hand-drawn engineering drawings are so hard to use, impossible to update, and even harder to find. It’s even tougher for old companies that have a backroom full of Mylar drawings....

Raster to Vector Conversion for CNC Machines What are CNC Machines? CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines are automated devices that are used to mill industrial components.  Most CNC machines are used industrially in manufacturing.  By using coded instructions and...

If you’re an organization that deals with construction, architecture, engineering, or manufacturing, then you use large format drawings and plans in your day-to-day business. Sooner or later you’re going to have one of those large-format paper drawings that you need...

About Mechanical Engineering Drawings Mechanical engineers use engineering drawings to explore the mechanical principles and to depict the mechanical systems that they design. While mechanical engineering has been automated via CAD programs for many years, there are...

Introduction Up until recent decades, construction drawings were created, archived, and distributed in paper. In this day and age, it is universally accepted that paper is no longer the best way for archiving or distributing construction drawings.  Furthermore, while...

What is WiseImage? WiseImage is a commercially available software package that helps to automate the process of raster to vector conversion. Who uses WiseImage? WiseImage is a solution for anyone who needs to restore, update, or revise a raster or vector drawing....

Over the decades, CAD has changed a lot. Today, it’s one of the most universally useful skills that can save your company money, help you gain a larger market share, and expedite any manufacturing operations. Today, we want to talk about CAD. We’ll discuss what it is,...

Large Format Scanners – What Kinds of Documents? Some large format scanners are designed to handle very specific types of documents properly, while some other large format scanners offer higher degrees of versatility and the ability to scan just about anything. Before...

If you have any number of hand-drawn engineering drawings, you should start converting them. Going through a scanning process then a raster to vector conversion can save your team a lot of time and money. How does it work? In this guide, we’ll answer that question by...

When doing 2D to 3D CAD Conversion, the place to start is with an accurate scan of your 2D blueprint or CAD drawing.    We recommend using a Contex scanner, and we’re particularly excited about the Contex Ultra series.  See some of our previous blog posts for more...

In order to survive in this competitive world, an engineering company must take on the challenge to deliver services and products in a short time, at a fair price. To accomplish this, a company must have a positive influence on its information and assets. Keeping...

Converting from a raster image to a vector file can open a lot of doors for your business. We strongly believe that any engineering department that has hand-drawn engineering drawings needs to start the conversion process today. In this guide, you’ll learn why. We’ll...

Probably no other CAD activity is as misunderstood as CAD conversion. Many people think it’s just a matter of saving one type of CAD file as another type of CAD file. Occasionally, it is that simple. But more often than not, it involves a number of highly technical...

Time for a Change: Convert Paper Drawings to AutoCAD Organizations that use AutoCAD and that have legacy paper drawings often waste time when they need to convert the paper drawing to an AutoCAD drawing.  Knowing exactly what to do when it comes time to handle old...

The Essentials of Accuracy in 2D to 3D CAD Conversion Are you ready to revise an old 2D CAD drawing into a new and modern design?  Often that’s a great way to get inspiration, but not if you have to redraw the 2D drawing.  So, how do you get started?  If you’re...

Your hand drawings might be working for your business, but there are certainly times when they fall short. Updating them is a pain, and it’s always hard to get a machine shop to quote a part using a hand drawing for reference. Maybe it’s time to upgrade your hand...

Going from a raster image to a functional CAD model requires a conversion. It’s easy in theory, but it can take a ton of time to do it correctly — it becomes even more difficult if you have a lot of files to convert. Regardless, our expert engineers put together this...

Let’s paint the picture: you need to convert 100 hand-drawn engineering drawings into AutoCAD files. Maybe you hire an intern to struggle through the process, maybe you ignore the problem for a few years, or maybe you consider automatic raster to vector AutoCAD...

  How to Ensure Quality Control When Converting Mylars to CAD Many organizations have large inventories of old Mylar drawings. (Mylar is a trade name for BOPET (biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate) polyester film, which has been widely used by...

How to Convert Mylar Aerospace Drawings Aerospace design drawings were traditionally created and stored on mylar sheets. But, with today’s newer 3D CAD technologies, Mylar film has mostly been replaced by 3D CAD models and dynamic virtual viewing.  This can lead to a...

Converting Mylar to CAD, even 3D CAD is a piece of cake…If you know what you’re doing! (We do - learn about our CAD conversion services!)   Get a...

If you’re running a construction company, there’s a good chance that you’re always looking for a way to save money and expedite each project. If you can do that, it means that you can take home more money each year and further grow your operation. Regardless of your...

How Paper and Mylar 2D Drawings Become 3D Models So, you want to know how to convert your paper or mylar drawings into 3D models.  One word:  carefully.  But before we get into that let’s look at the reasons for converting. Reasons for Converting 2D to 3D There are...

No matter what the industry, it’s clearly understood that better workflows mean higher efficiency, and in manufacturing, efficiency is vital if you want to stay competitive.  Because many manufacturing business owners get caught up in the everyday running of their...

We’ve worked with a lot of companies that had a room full of hand-drawn engineering drawings, done on Mylar. We know that it’s a nightmare to find the right drawing, storage is a pain, and there’s a huge risk of drawings getting damaged or lost. So, what are you...

Every time we see a hand drawing, we wince a little. We know how dangerous they are, how hard they are to protect, and how inconvenient it is to rely on hand drawings. But, should you convert your engineering drawings into CAD? In this guide, we’ll answer that...

When you have a raster graphic, you can’t do a lot. These images might look great, but they don’t have any functionality in CAD software.  In this guide, we will explain everything about the need for converting raster to vector graphics. We will even give you helpful...

If you’re thinking about starting a new PLM system, you probably have a million questions. One of the hardest tasks revolves around getting your CAD files correctly into your PLM software. We know how tedious and complicated this process is, so we put together this...

Whether you have one or 100 hand drawings, you understand how inconvenient they are. It’s hard to get the part made, and it’s even harder to update the design. This leads to frustration for a lot of companies. The good news is that there’s a solution. In this guide,...

Here’s a scenario that so many engineering companies face: you have a very old legacy drawing that you need to update to match your current catalog. The only problem is that your old DWG drawing can’t be edited, which means you can’t make any changes. What are you...

3D CAD files are as good as gold in a modern engineering company. They can quickly create manufacturing drawings, be used to check for fit, form, and function of a part, and be used for marketing material. If you don’t have 3D CAD files yet, then you should convert...

Global Markets…Global Unrest… Overseas Manufacturing…What should U.S. manufacturers do to survive in this competitive world? First, and foremost a manufacturer must deliver services and products in a short time and at a fair price.  This means shortening the design to...