If you have never commissioned CAD work before, it can be genuinely hard to know where to start or what you are expected to bring to the table. The good news is that you do not need finished drawings, technical knowledge or even a fully formed idea to begin. What you really need is a problem worth solving and a willingness to talk it through.
Our CAD team works with everyone from first time inventors with a rough sketch to established manufacturers with detailed specifications, and the whole process is built to be approachable for both. Nobody is expected to speak fluent engineering, and part of our job is translating what you want into geometry. Here is how a typical project actually unfolds.
Getting started
It all begins with a straightforward conversation about what you want to make and, just as importantly, why. A sketch, a photo, a sample of an existing part, or even a clear written description is plenty to get going. The clearer the picture of how the part will eventually be used the better, but we will gladly draw the missing details out of you along the way.
From there we agree together on the scope of the work, a realistic timeline and the likely manufacturing process, whether that turns out to be printing, CNC machining or something else entirely. Settling those expectations early means there are no awkward surprises later, and you always know what you are getting and roughly when you can expect it.
Through design to a real part
We then build the model itself, keeping you genuinely in the loop with previews and questions as it develops rather than disappearing and presenting a finished result you have no input on. You review what we produce, we refine it in response, and through that back and forth the design steadily converges on something that actually works for your situation.
For most projects we strongly recommend proving the design with a physical first part through prototype development before committing to any quantity. That prototype confirms the design in the real world, where small surprises always hide, and any final tweaks it reveals feed neatly back into the model before production ever begins.
What you walk away with
At the end of a project you should hold everything needed to use and remake your part, not just a single result. A typical handover includes the clean editable source model, the export files suited to your chosen process, and any 2D drawings needed for inspection or machining. Where it helps, we add a short note on the key dimensions, the clearances we designed in and anything to watch when reordering.
We aim to leave you genuinely self sufficient. Because the files are yours, you can come back for a tweak, scale the design up, or take it to another maker entirely without being locked in. If you need ongoing stock of parts we can keep the proven version on file ready to run, and if you only ever needed the one design, you leave with a tidy, well documented package rather than a loose collection of files you are afraid to touch.
- Editable source model you fully own.
- Export files matched to your process.
- Drawings for inspection or machining where needed.
- Notes on key dimensions and reordering.
Local support, two studios
Our head office and main full service warehouse is in Perth, Western Australia, with the complete range of processes available together under one roof. We also run a smaller studio in Melbourne, Victoria, which offers CAD, prototype development, FDM printing up to 350 x 350 x 350mm and OzFDM filament stock for customers on the east coast.
Wherever you happen to be in Australia, you can work with us comfortably from a remote location, from that first rough sketch right through to finished, usable parts in your hands. Distance is rarely a barrier to a good outcome. To get started on your own project, contact us for a chat or get a quote with whatever you already have.