3 reasons we keep different CAD software

As a design engineering business we make no secret that we utilise and maintain three leading CAD systems. Although there are a number of other choices out there as well, we made a strategic decision some time ago to specifically focus on Creo, Solidworks and Inventor, as they seemed to be the ones our clients were, and still are, using for design and development in '3D'.

It’s an obvious statement really, but our clients’ needs are at the forefront of everything we do. By keeping three different CAD systems within Sanstec and additionally maintaining several versions of each one concurrently, puts us in prime position to serve those needs perfectly and is therefore a no-brainer as to why we do exactly this.

As we regularly work around both short and long term design 'contracts' we need to be as agile as possible. We have found that by working across the different platforms, consistently adapting the use of new functionality, keeps our 'service capability' skills fresh and versatile. Our familiarity means we can be more effective when implementing and applying solutions to design issues.

Keeping abreast of what’s happening with PTC’s Creo, Dassault Systèmes Solidworks and Autodesk’s Inventor can be a challenge and requires a substantial amount of effort and investment on our part, but it helps us keep up to date with software changes and generally what’s happening in the CAD arena as we strive to maintain awareness of the CAD marketplace in general and the developments within it to enable us to make more sensible and informed design and development engineering decisions.