What is CAD?
CAD (computer-aided design) is software used to create the drawings and models that define a part. In fabrication, CAD is where a part's geometry, its shape, dimensions, holes, and features, is designed before it's quoted and cut.
What does CAD mean in fabrication?
For a fabrication shop, CAD usually means the 2D drawings or 3D models that customers send in, or that the shop draws itself, to describe the parts to be made. Those drawings carry the geometry the shop needs to price the job and drive the cutting machine.
CAD covers both the software (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Fusion, Inventor, and others) and the files it produces.
Why does CAD matter?
CAD is the starting point for almost everything that follows. If the CAD geometry is accurate and clean, quoting and cutting are faster and more reliable. If it's messy, with duplicate lines, open shapes, or the wrong scale, it creates cleanup work before the part can be priced or cut.
CAD file formats in fabrication
Shops most often work with a few CAD formats:
- DXF and DWG for 2D profiles ready to cut
- STEP and other 3D formats for parts that need unfolding into a flat pattern
Each carries the geometry a shop needs, just in different ways.
CAD and quoting
Quoting from CAD is far faster than measuring by hand. The geometry in the file gives the cut length, pierce count, and part dimensions, which, combined with material and machine rates, is enough to build an accurate price. The cleaner the CAD, the less manual preparation a quote needs.
Related terms
Quote directly from your CAD files
Tempus Tools reads the geometry in your CAD files and prices the job automatically, so you can quote from a drawing instead of measuring by hand.
Work straight from DXF and DWG files, unfold 3D models, and convert PDF drawings into CAD when a customer doesn't send a clean file, all as part of your Tempus Tools quoting workflow.
FAQs
What does CAD stand for?
CAD stands for computer-aided design. It refers to the software used to create part drawings and models, and the files those programs produce.
What CAD file types do fabrication shops use?
Most commonly DXF and DWG for 2D profiles, and STEP or other 3D formats for parts that need unfolding into a flat pattern.
What's the difference between CAD and CAM?
CAD is used to design the part. CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) turns that design into the instructions a machine follows to make it.
Can you quote directly from a CAD file?
Yes. Quoting software can read the geometry in a CAD file to work out cut length, part size, and features, which speeds up pricing compared with measuring by hand.