Top automation opportunities
Standard component selection
Select and insert bearings, motors, gearboxes, cylinders, fasteners and profiles from calculations and supplier catalogues, with correct part numbers.
Machine element design
Shafts, keys, gears, pulleys, springs and weldments generated from engineering inputs and standards.
Frames and structures
Weldment frames and aluminium profile structures from simple layouts, with automatic cut lists and joining hardware.
Drawings and documentation
Detail drawings, assembly drawings with balloons, and spare parts lists generated from models.
BOM and ERP
Structured BOMs with make/buy classification pushed straight to ERP.
Tools by platform
| Platform | Built-in helpers | Custom automation |
|---|---|---|
| SOLIDWORKS | Toolbox, weldments, DriveWorksXpress | API add-ins, configurators, PDM integration |
| Inventor | Design Accelerator, Frame Generator, iLogic | API add-ins, Vault integration, cloud configurators |
| AutoCAD Mechanical | Standard parts, BOM, power dimensions | .NET tools, 2D generators, title block automation |
| Creo | Family tables, relations | TOOLKIT / J-Link applications |
Capturing senior engineers' knowledge
Many mechanical companies depend on a few senior engineers who know the product rules by heart. Building those rules into automation preserves that knowledge and lets junior engineers produce correct designs faster.
Automation is one of the best ways to transfer experience from your senior engineers to the whole team.
A practical roadmap
- Month 1: templates, property automation and export tools.
- Months 2–3: BOM generation and drawing automation.
- Months 3–6: parametric generators for the main product family.
- Later: configurator and ERP integration.
Mechanical CAD automation with ENGIMANDI
We work with machine builders on SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD Mechanical and Creo automation.