View this infographic to experience a side-by-side comparison of designing in 2D vs. 3D through the eyes of two bicycle companies working to bring new models to market. Follow the product development timeline from concept to production and see how 3D CAD expedites the process and avoids many challenges faced by 2D design.

1. START
QUALITY
COSTS
2DDESIGNED
3DDESIGNED
WE ARE PEDALING
MORE SLOWLY
THIS PRODUCT?
FULL SPEED AHEAD
Engineers save time and have a more
productive conversation thanks to tools
that represent complex principles in 3D.
Everyone understands the concepts.
ROLLING
RIGHT
ALONG
With 3D, engineers get the design right
before their eyes. Interferences, collisions
and hole misalignments are detected.
Engineers design to cost targets with
built-in bill of materials creation, cost
estimation capabilities and
manufacturability checks.
TESTING, TESTING
1,2,3 DAYS EARLY
3D is used to visualize and share designs,
helping to understand the parts in motion.
Photographic-quality images and
animations in full color allow clients to
preview how the design will look and
react. Physical models can be made quickly
and inexpensively using a 3D printer so
they can hold actual parts.
TIRED? HARDLY, WITH ALL
OF THESE TIME SAVINGS!
Changes are made faster and with 100%
accuracy. Files are automatically updated
whenever a design change is made—from
parts to assemblies to drawings—because
all downstream engineering, manufacturing
and marketing deliverables are linked to the
3D design models. Colleagues can start
working on their materials before the
design is finalized.
THE FINISH LINE
IS IN SIGHT
All departments have worked
concurrently, reducing the time needed
to complete the project. 3D models are
used to create User Guides, and
websites and advertising are ready
with images and animations weeks
before the first bike rolls off the
assembly line.
ENGINEERING,
MANUFACTURING AND
MARKETING ARE
PEDDLING ALONG
PROJECT IS ON
SCHEDULE FOR NOW
Extra time and effort are needed to
demonstrate a product concept in 2D.
Getting engineers and their clients on
the same page might appear easy, but
complex concepts are difficult to
illustrate and interpret.
With 2D, costly prototypes are
required to test designs. Changes
require more prototypes to verify the
new design. Additional delays result
as design problems are found and
parts are reworked to make them fit.
PROJECT IS FALLING TO THE
BACK OF THE PELOTON
It’s hard to relay complicated design
points to clients because many
drawings are required. The delays
created by the complexity of designing
in 2D mean there is more pressure and
tighter deadlines, as a result more
design problems surface.
ALMOST OUT
OF THE RACE
PROJECT LIMPS
BEHIND AT A
SINGLE-SPEED PACE
PROJECT IS 20
DAYS LATE
When a bicycle company creates a new product, several factors are key: attention
to detail, product safety and timely delivery. The two scenarios below show how
each project develops. On the left is a bicycle designed using 2D software, and on
the right is a bicycle designed in 3D. Notice the challenges that arise in 2D
manufacturing and find out why 3D helps expedite the project’s timeline.
HOW 3D HELPS A
BICYCLE COMPANY WIN
The project falls further behind because
changes to a single design element
require making changes across dozens,
possibly hundreds, of design files.
Additional testing and careful proofing
is required.
In manufacturing, more interferences,
collisions and hole misalignments are
uncovered, further delaying launch.
Assembly documentation is just now
being created, and 2D drawings have to
be updated again. Overrun costs for
extra engineering time are piling up.
More distressing, the cost to produce
the design is almost twice what was
targeted – meaning profitability is now
in question.
The entire project is completed by the
deadline. Just as important, the project
is on budget, and the manufacturing
costs hit the targets set at the beginning
of the project. Computer simulations
allowed optimization of the bicycle’s
aerodynamics, ensured proper function
and reliability, and cut down on the cost
of building multiple physical prototypes.
Complex technical documentation was
created quickly and easily before parts
were finished, helping the client’s
marketing and sales colleagues do their
jobs and sell product in advance.
And the winner is … 3D! That’s because it allows designers to
identify and correct design flaws early, test components to verify
they will function properly and explain to clients how parts work
together. Engineers have time to add innovations such as stylized
ergonomic parts that increase sales by making the final product look
sleeker and ride faster. Happy clients and happy designers say it best:
Choosing 3D really is that easy, no training wheels required.
WINNING DESIGN CROSSES
THE FINISH LINE ON TIME!
PRODUCT LAUNCH HAPPENS
60 DAYS LATE – WITH ZERO
FANFARE
The project wraps up after nearly one
month of delays. The product is
adequate, but design problems are still
possible because of the rush to
complete the project.
RIDE TO SUCCESS
It’s easy to ensure the design functions
as it should without physical
prototypes. 3D simulation determines if
a design is structurally sound, can
survive dynamic forces and vibrations
and validate aerodynamics to eliminate
over-designed elements that might add
weight and cost.
MEET WITH THE CLIENT
DESIGN THE BICYCLEDESIGN THE BICYCLEDESIGN THE BICYCLEDESIGN THE BICYCLE
SHARE DESIGN WITH THE CLIENTSHARE DESIGN WITH THE CLIENTSHARE DESIGN WITH THE CLIENTSHARE DESIGN WITH THE CLIENT
MAKE CHANGESMAKE CHANGESMAKE CHANGESMAKE CHANGES
DELIVER FINAL DESIGNDELIVER FINAL DESIGNDELIVER FINAL DESIGNDELIVER FINAL DESIGN
FIRST PRODUCTIONFIRST PRODUCTIONFIRST PRODUCTIONFIRST PRODUCTION
TEST THE DESIGNTEST THE DESIGNTEST THE DESIGNTEST THE DESIGN
2
4
5
6
7
3
1
With 2D, engineers must create multiple
views to represent each part. This
increases the time required to make all
views accurate, scaled and up-to-date.
Identifying interferences, detecting
collisions and estimating cost is difficult.
Engineers hope they are on budget but
have no real data to monitor costs.