Industry Info and CAD Tips

The 3D printing phenomenon is taking the world by storm and is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to new innovation and creations. We are able to 3D print shoes, prosthetic limbs, dental implants and other medical devices. It’s amazing what happens with each new innovation. There are even individuals 3D printing homes! We can’t wait to find out what might be next. For incredibly affordable 3D CAD services, call Indovance to save time and money! Just last month, researchers from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) released a new method for 3D printing that involves printing glass instead of the typically printed plastic. They’re calling it G3DP. This transparent glass works just as the conventional plastic printing does. While it seems similar, there was a breakthrough during the overall printing process. The researchers were able to modulate the light transmission, reflection and refraction qualities by precisely varying the thickness of the print, according to engadget.com. Also according to engadget.com, “The system uses a pair of heated chambers stacked atop one another; the 1900-degree F upper chamber acting as a Kiln Cartridge and the lower chamber serving to anneal the constructed structures. Researchers at MIT Media Lab collaborated with the school’s Mechanical Engineering Department, the MIT Glass Lab and Wyss Institute to create the G3DP. The team believes that method could eventually lead to better quality and less expensive fiber optics.” How Does 3D Printing Glass Work? The glass is heated to 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. This is to help shape the objects that will be made. Then, the honey-like melted substance is poured into an premade mold or pattern. As it prints, the glass cools and then becomes transparent, even though it has color when it’s melted. Once cooled, it’s just like any glass that can be used with glass blowing techniques. Are you excited to hear about this awesome new way of printing? We are interested to see where things continue to go for 3D printing. As it seems, the sky is the limit! What are some of your favorite 3D printed objects that we’ve been previously reporting on? Do you plan to purchase 3D printed things in the future? The printer used is much like the one used to 3D print a house. We reported on that home just a few weeks ago. The only difference in the two processes is the materials used. The glass also prints layer by layer, just as most printers do. Need Affordable 3D CAD Services? Call Indovance for Savings! If you need help with design of any kind, and need to lower costs, maybe it’s time to consider sending out some of your work to one of the top 3D CAD services companies in the world – Indovance. When you outsource your drafting needs, you’re able to decrease your drawing time as well as gain the ability to get help with your engineering or architectural needs as well. All you have to do is trust Indovance to offer you the best customer service available! Call us today, to learn more about the benefits we offer to businesses that want to grow and succeed at new levels, while lowering overhead costs and gaining profitability! You won’t be sorry you decided to take advantage of our BIM, mechanical design, or CAD drafting services!

Are you interested in learning more about technical drawing? Over the course of the past few blog posts, we’ve been going over the details! Today, we are going to talk more the purpose of technical drawing. What is the Purpose of Technical Drawings? As we stated in a previous blog post, technical drawing uses a skill to create plans that can be visualized and followed, so that it can be carried out. This process creates an instructional drawing that uses art instead of written words to teach someone how to build or create an object. In essence, the sole purpose is basically to instruct. It’s an instruction manual that’s made up of a drawing only.  Drafters or technical drawers draw pictures that show manufacturers how to build the exact shape and size of an object. Technical drawings can help a wide variety of professionals including: Engineers Contractors Plumbers Electricians Landscape architects Inventors Drawingtable.org states that “Technical Drawing is most commonly practiced by architects and engineers but is also used by teachers, interior designers, product designers, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, and pretty much anyone who builds or creates things.  Even programmers and app designers may use their own brand of technical drawing.” Technical drawing isn’t as common now as it used to be, but several industries rely on it in the beginning stages of planning and designing. To learn more about technical drawings, including what type of jobs acutally use them, visit back with our next blog post, soon! Does your firm need a drafter to help move projects along? Are you worried about hiring someone, in-house? The expense can be big, and the overhead cost might not fit into your budget. With that in mind, you might want to consider outsourcing, instead. Outsource Your AutoCAD Services to Indovance | Save Time & Money Sometimes, making the decision to outsource might be easy, but selecting the right partner for your business can be the hardest part of the overall process. Thankfully, companies like Indovance are here to offer quality resources to help ease your fears about hiring an outside vendor. We offer 3D AutoCAD services, BIM, engineering, architecture services and more. Let us help your business with costly planning, designing and constructing! Our goal is to provide you with cost efficient, quality, and timely results! Call us today, to learn more about each and every outsourcing services we offer to business that want to grow and succeed to new levels, while lowering overhead costs and gaining profitability! You won’t be sorry you decided to take advantage of our AutoCAD services and other CAD drafting services! If you missed our other blog posts about technical drawing, be sure to visit back with them, below: Technical Drawing 101 Common Tools Used in Technical Drawing? What is the Purpose of Technical Drawings? What Jobs Use Technical Drawing?

An Italian company has taken 3D printing to new extremes, building a 40 foot tall, 20 foot wide 3D printer to construct houses. World’s Advanced Saving Project (WASP) built the printer to create low cost housing using locally sourced eco-friendly materials like dirt or clay. It’s an experimental project but it could lead to developments in 3D printing that could make it a reality. The gigantic printer, which was named Big Delta, was debuted recently at a three-day event that included workshops and conferences leading up to a reveal of the printer. The massive scale 3D printer works just like any other 3D printer, using the same 3D CAD services, but it dispenses clay rather than resin. It has huge metal frames that support the nozzle, which is connected to a computer. The nozzle moves in a circular pattern adding layers of clay to the structure. The clay is added layer by layer until the project is completed, using very little energy. If the development of this printer gets off the ground, it could mean changes in how we help people in developing nations. Low cost housing could be provided to people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford it. According to WASP’s website, in the next 15 years there will be 100,000 houses needed each day for lower income people across the world. The company has plans in the works to add insect repellent to its walls, which would prove valuable in areas that have a high risk of health problems due to mosquitoes. It would also come in handy during natural disasters. When tornadoes or earthquakes wipe out homes, they could provide affordable, temporary housing that can be quickly and easily constructed on-site. The company’s aim is to create a new economic model that moves production from being available to just a few to being accessible to everyone using advances in technology. They want people to not have to be dependent on larger entities that control the monopoly on production.  They call it the “maker economy.” They believe that everyone should be able to have a home, food and good health. Their ultimate goal is to be able to build a home using a printer like Big Delta and materials that were sourced locally. Then they want to be able to provide a vertical 3D printer garden that uses hydroponic culture in order to grow produce in environments that are less than ideal for crops. The third element would be a shop where everyone could have access to a 3D printer so that everyone can be involved in the production of items for their neighborhood or village. Big Delta is not the first large scale 3D printer. In China, a construction company used a similar printer to build modular homes. In the same vein, an Amsterdam design firm used robots to construct a 3D-printed bridge over the Amsterdam Canal and another firm is attempting to build a 3D-printed house. Save Time and Money – Outsource Your 3D CAD Services to Indovance Stay up-to-date with the latest design technology by outsourcing your work to one of the top drafting firms in the world. Let us help your business avoid the costs associated with bringing new software in-house. We already have the software, hardware and highly trained experts to do the job. If you’re interested in lowering costs within your business, give Indovance a call. We can help you decrease your project time, giving you an advantage over your competitors. We offer AutoCAD, BIM modeling services, engineering, 3D CAD services and more. Call us today to learn more about all of the outsourcing services we offer so that your business can grow to new levels.

Drafting, draughting and technical drawing are all the same thing. Whatever you choose to call it, technical drawing uses a skill to create plans that can be visualized and followed, so that they can be carried out. This process is an instructional drawing that uses art instead of written words to teach someone how to build or create an object. Technical Drawers are called various things, as well; drafts-person, a draughtsman, or more popularly known as drafters. If the drafter is a professional, they’re known as a drafting technician. Technical drawings are very clear in what they show. They represent one message and rarely leave any room for interpretation. This is where technical drawings are different from artistic ones. Artistic renderings are subjective and open to interpretation. Drawings could be seen as one thing by one individual and something entirely different by another. That is the beauty of artistic drawings. Technical drawings are very specific and never seen differently by others. They follow set rules and don’t stray away from them. Intentions are clear and confusion is avoided. Who Uses Technical Drawings? architects all types of engineers teachers interior designers product designers construction workers plumbers electricians anyone who builds or creates programmers app designers Is Technical Drafting the Same as CAD Drafting? Technical drawing is done manually. Drafters use stencils, triangles, rulers, t-squares, large paper and work spaces to help them get the drawings completed. CAD drafting uses computer aided software to help them create technical drawings. Software like CorelDRAW or AutoCAD has only been in existence since the late 1970s. Before that, technical drawings were done by hand or with the help of machines. When AutoCAD was released in the early 1980s, technical drawing by hand started phasing out. Which is Better? This is a question that has been asked time and time again. Is manual technical drawing better than CAD drafting? Almost always, CAD wins this debate. Why?  There’s a wide range of reasons: 3D Modeling – Following a 3D model is easier than a technical drawing during prototyping. Easy Accessibility  – This software is easy to use and rarely causes complications within a firm while training. Sustainability – No need to use countless amounts of paper with CAD. Designing and Sharing – Sharing CAD files has never been easier. You’re able to work with a network that offers tons of benefits. No Redrawing – CAD offers a way to rework designs that would otherwise be trashed and redrawn. This saves time and money. Are you thinking that your firm would benefit from offering AutoCAD services? Are you worried about the overhead this type of software might bring to your business? Consider outsourcing instead! For Outstanding AutoCAD Services, Call Indovance Today! Sometimes, making the decision to outsource might be easy, but selecting the right partner for your business can be the hardest part of the overall process. Thankfully, companies like Indovance are here to offer quality resources to help ease your fears about hiring an outside vendor. To learn more about Indovance and all the 3D outsourcing services we offer, give us a call! We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have! We offer 3D AutoCAD services, BIM, engineering, architecture services and more. Let us help your business with costly planning, designing and constructing! Our goal is to provide you with cost efficient, quality, and timely results!

As the end of 2015 draws near, it’s time to look at a few current trends in the civil engineering industry. As with each new year, different trends come into play and old ones fade out. Staying on top of these phases can be quite difficult. With help from our news articles, you should be able to keep up, implement new trends as they come along and allow old ones to exit out as warranted. If you need help with engineering outsourcing services, call Indovance today for a free quote! Civil Engineering Trends Sustainability – In other articles we’ve discussed how important sustainability is becoming in many fields of both engineering and architecture. Trends in 2015 had eco-friendly options moving forward and developing quickly. This trend will continue throughout 2016 and move on into the future. Sustainability will likely become more of a staple in industries across the board. The need to build sustainable buildings, bridges and roads is higher than ever. Energy efficiency within these structures is a major need, as well. Most civil engineers are familiar with sustainable developments, as many firms have made it a point to incorporate various green designs within their efforts. Those that haven’t been exposed to green innovations should begin researching the concepts. Moving forward, into 2016 and 2017, these skills will be vital to stay current in the industry as well as for the continued development of your career. Nanotechnology – As part of the development with green construction, nanotechnology will begin making a significant appearance in the industry. Smart Construction Materials – Also part of the sustainable movement, these materials will improve construction techniques and offer a green approach to building. Skills – Those that wish to pursue a civil engineering career in the next few years should understand that the construction world is changing. Understanding nanotechnology and other new construction techniques is key. Developing civil engineering skills is a trend that hasn’t been front and center in a while, as things haven’t progressed as quickly in the building industry as they have in other fields. There are also new mobile apps and design software other engineers use daily, that are just now becoming available to civil engineers. Staying on top of current trends in your field is key for success. We hope this article helps you do so. Are you making an effort to stay abreast of new technology and tools within the CE field? If so, what are those efforts? If you’re more interested in learning about engineering outsourcing services, consider working with Indovance! Incredibly Affordable Engineering Outsourcing Services | Indovance Sometimes, making the decision to outsource might be easy, but selecting the right partner for your business can be the hardest part of the overall process. Thankfully, companies like Indovance are here to offer quality resources to help ease your fears about hiring an outside vendor. To learn more about Indovance and all the engineering outsourcing services we offer, give us a call! We also offer CAD services, BIM, architecture services and more. Let us help your business with costly planning, designing and constructing. Our goal is to provide you with cost efficient, quality, and timely results.

Formlabs has introduced a new desktop 3D printer, the Form 2. This high-resolution, desktop stereolithography 3D printer was developed with designers and engineers in mind. They aimed to make it easier to use than most 3D printers, including the first printer they produced, the Form 1. The company specializes in manufacturing 3D printers, and created the Form 1 back in 2012. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign and shipped to backers in 2013. Formlabs tried to make Form 2 more user friendly by making the process easier with what they call a “1-click print.” When models are created, supports are automatically built in instead of having to be inserted manually. This should result in fewer print fails than the Form 1. Formlabs cofounder Max Lobovsky said, “What we tried to do when we designed this machine was to account for all the variables that would cause failure. Instead of adding all these fantastic features with cameras and crazy sound, we really tried to make a reliable machine because that’s what this movement needs.” The Form 2 is 40 percent larger than its predecessor so it can produce larger objects. The laser is better, too. It’s 50 percent more powerful, which produces a better resolution. Other new features include a sliding peel mechanism, wiper and heated resin tank, which facilitates printing large parts with intricate details. The resin tanks are automatically refilled during the printing process. It also has options that can print over Wi-Fi as well as send custom notification and text alerts while your project is being processed. It has a new web interface that lets users monitor their output across multiple printers. You can view your work from one point if you’re working in a design shop with multiple jobs going at once. It can also be accessed on a desktop computer or through tablets or cell phones. Even with these added capabilities, the machine is still small in size, so it can easily fit into design studios. That was part of the plan with the new model, according to Lobovsky. “If you make a machine that’s extremely reliable with a small footprint that you can put in a designer’s studio or an engineering shop,” he said, “you can do things that will change the world because you give them tools that they never had before to make things that never existed before.” In the past, if your company wanted a 3D printer, it took a big investment of both time and money. With easier to use products such as the Form 2, even a small business can compete. The cost of a Form 2 is $3499 and includes their PreForm software, a liter of resin for printing your first project and a finish kit to use post processing. While that may be out of the price range of someone with a mere passing interest in 3D printing, the cost is justifiable for a small design firm wanting to expand their capabilities. Indovance – Affordable 3D CAD Services for 3D Printing If you need help with BIM, mechanical design, or 3D CAD services, but don’t want to hire a full-time employee to take on these duties, you should consider outsourcing to Indovance. We are one of the top 3D CAD drafting services companies in the world. When you outsource your design projects, you’re able to spend time on the things that you care about most, like building your client list. Call us today to learn more about the benefits we offer to businesses that want to grow and succeed at new levels while lowering overhead costs and gaining profitability.

Innovators are at it again with 3D printing and this time it has been used to give a little girl a new ear! A 9 year old Chinese girl was born with an ear that was deformed. Because of that, she always wished for a normal ear. While many of us take our ears for granted, she did not. Her right ear never fully formed and caused considerable  trouble with her hearing. She was also concerned with its appearance, as well. According to 3dprint.com, “Using a CT scan of Xiao’s normal left ear, doctors were able to 3D print a mirror image of it. This 3D printed ear model was the perfect tool in aiding surgeons in their endeavor to build a new ear for the little girl. With this model created, University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital orthopedic hospital director, Dr. Chen Ruwei, led a surgical team which took cartilage from Xiao’s ribs, and sculpted it into the shape of the 3D printed ear. This process was much simpler than if they had to merely base their ear construction on a 2-dimensional X-ray.” They also stated that “Once the cartilage was shaped into an almost identical match to Xiao’s normal left ear, it was attached to her head in a process which involved ensuring that there was a sufficient blood supply to the new tissue.  Once attached all the surgeons needed to do was cover it with her own skin and stitch things up.” What’s interesting is that the little girl doesn’t have a normal looking ear – yet. The attached ear will grow, just as it would as the girl has grown since birth. Eventually it will reach its full growth and then, it will look normal. How amazing?! A member from the surgical team Tim Tinghui states that “The next step is to wait for the skin flaps and cartilage to grow together, a process which will take about a year. After that, we do two operations. The second phase of the operation involves us being required to ‘dig out’ the ear from the mass of skin, and angle it so that it is symmetrical to the left ear.” Be sure to stay tuned for more news regarding the ever evolving world of 3D printing and 3D CAD services. As soon as new news hits, we will report it right here, as we always do! Affordable 3D CAD Services | Indovance If you need help with 3D design and are interested in lowering costs within your business, you might want to consider outsourcing all your CAD needs. When you outsource your 3D CAD services, you’re able to decrease your drawing time as well as gain the ability to outsource engineering or architectural needs. All you have to do is trust Indovance to offer you the best outsourcing services available. Call us today, to learn more about each and every outsourcing service we offer to businesses that want to grow and succeed to new levels, while lowering overhead costs and gaining profitability. You won’t be sorry you decided to take advantage of our CAD drafting outsourcing services!

Welcome back! In our previous post we started listing questions and answers about BIM for those who aren’t familiar with it yet. Below, you’ll find more questions and answers that will offer even more information! Will the BIM adoption happen smoothly in the UK? Highly trained professionals, much like the ones that helped introduce CAD into the UK in the late 80s, will help ensure that the adoption of BIM will occur smoothly in the UK. Will BIM ever be a single? According to thebimhub.com, “One day there will be a single BIM. This will be created when the client is briefing the design team. All project members will work on this single shared BIM through the lifecycle of the building.” Can Smaller Firms Justify Purchasing BIM? Although BIM is an expensive investment, there are a few reasons why smaller firms might want to purchase it for use, in-house. Those that can afford to budget it in, will. Others will choose to outsource BIM instead. This is a smarter alternative to buying BIM when you’re not able to afford the overhead that comes with it. Do Master Specification Systems Fit into BIM? The ‘I’ in BIM is what the master specifications provide. That’s the detailed information of building information modeling. According to thebimhub.com, “They will describe in detail the same objects that are visually represented in the CAD model. So within the CAD model you will be able to see how many windows you have, where they are located and what they look like. In the specification model the information behind the window will be recorded, what regulations/standards the window must comply with, what workmanship/execution tasks are required, what manufacturer products make up the window and, finally, what regular maintenance is required through the window’s life.” Do Cash and Carbon Fit into BIM? BIM will allow costs – both capital and environmental – to be considered much earlier in the design process. We hope the answer to these commonly asked questions will help answer a few inquiries you might have about BIM. If you’d like to speak with our BIM experts, feel free to contact us, today! If you missed our previous blog post, containing more questions and answers about BIM, be sure to visit back with it, here! If you’re more interested in learning about outsourcing engineering services, consider working with Indovance! Unbeatable BIM Service Outsourcing | Indovance Sometimes, making the decision to outsource might be easy, but selecting the right partner for your business can be the hardest part of the overall process. Thankfully, companies like Indovance are here to offer quality resources to help ease your fears about hiring an outside vendor. To learn more about Indovance and all the outsourcing services we offer, give us a call! We also offer CAD, BIM service outsourcing, architecture services and more. Let us help your business with costly planning, designing and constructing. Our goal is to provide you with cost efficient, quality, and timely results.

Those that aren’t very familiar with BIM tend to have many questions concerning the process. Below, you’ll find five questions and answers that will hopefully help you understand it better. What is BIM? The acronym stands for Building Information Model.  BIM is a process used to create a digital model of a physical building. It can be used by a design team to design or a construction team to build. It helps the overall construction process run smoothly from beginning to end. Who Owns a Completed BIM? Essentially, the building owner is the owner of the BIM, as well. Engineers and architects that create BIMs and never share them or use them to build a structure are the true owners of those models. But, according to thenbs.com, “To maximize the full benefits the design team must share their information model, pass this to the construction team and then place it in the hands of the building owner.” Who Makes the Most Money With BIM? Everyone involved in the BIM process makes money. It’s a process that involves many people and because the process removes risk for error and improves productivity and quality, there’s an advantage for everyone working on the project. Are There Legal Implications of BIM? Though BIM is mostly positive and helpful, there could be a few legal issues that rise from certain complications. According to thebimhub.com, “For a number of years contract documentation has all been on paper. In recent years this has started to turn digital, with PDF being a common medium. This is quite simple. But consider the example of a contractor referring to the contract specification for the color of the facade; the specification refers to the drawing. When the contractor views the drawing in their chosen PDF viewer this facade is red. However, the designer has changed this to be blue but not coordinated this across the documents.” Is the UK Keeping Up with BIM Like the Rest of the World? Yes and no. In a 2010 NBS surveyed the industry and stated that 25% of those aware of BIM said they would adopt it on the majority of their projects within a year. 50% of those aware of BIM said they would adopt it on the majority of their projects within three years. Now, the UK plans to implement BIM by law for any construction companies working for the government by 2016. To learn more about BIM modeling services, visit back with our next blog post. We will offer five more questions and answers! Unbeatable BIM Modeling Services | Indovance The benefits you’ll encounter when outsourcing your small business needs and BIM modeling services are endless! Why stress over the costs of hiring in-house expertise when Indovance is here to help eliminate the need to do so? Our engineering, architectural and other services are here for you to take advantage of when you’re ready! Selecting the right outsourcing company for your business might be the hardest part of the overall outsourcing process. Thankfully, companies like ours are here to offer quality resources to help ease your fears about hiring an outsourcing company. To learn more about Indovance and all the BIM outsourcing services we offer, give us a call! We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about outsourcing!

Microsoft and Google have been in a long-standing battle for some time, to not only beat each other in the earnings race but also to offer the best software. Google Apps or Microsoft Office 360? The question still remains as to which is best, but it seems that choosing one is mostly based on preference. Aside from these long-running competitions between the two valuable companies, there is one thing they both agree on. Both companies believe that the cloud is secure enough to use without worry that information stored there will be breached. At a press conference back in February of this year, Microsoft Chief Information Security Officer Bret Arsenault and Google Director of Security for Google Apps Eran Feigenbaum explained talked about their stance on using a cloud. They also talked in detail about how they feel about cloud security. With them were a group of panelists, including independent security expert Bruce Schneier and Verizon Wireless’s data breach risk team expert, Wade Baker. This panel of experts really helped highlight the benefits and advantages of using cloud services. They also talked about why it’s OK to feel secure when using them. Is the Cloud Safe? Even with the positive input of experts that work with major corporations concerning the security of cloud services, those that do use it or refrain from using it still have serious concerns about whether or not it is actually safe. In fact, a KPMG report states that cloud security is a top concern, even now. IT executives look for ways to reduce costs and look to the cloud to do that. Even with their need to lower overhead, the report mentions that 45% of respondents said data loss and data privacy were their top hesitations with regard to cloud incorporation. There are a few things to think about when deciding whether or not the cloud is right for you. This year has brought on a few security risks for those using the cloud. According to CloudWedge.com, back in June of this year, “Code Spaces was the victim of a cloud-jacking attack. Code Spaces reported that while it did have cloud-based backups, it did not have on-site backups and the attacker also destroyed all of the backup data as well. How did it happen? Perhaps a Code Spaces employee had malware on their machine and the password was stolen by hackers. Perhaps a public computer that had a key logger installed stole the password. Some even speculate that a social engineering attack occurred. Whatever the case, protecting the password of your cloud and using two-factor authentication methods is essential to protecting the privacy and integrity of your enterprise.” It seems that using cloud services works well when you have on-site backups, malware protection, and firewalls. Using all of these things in combination with one another might be the only way to keep data safe. If you’re considering using the cloud, don’t hesitate to use other platforms to store and secure the data, as well. High-Quality CAD Outsourcing Services | Indovance If you’ve thought about CAD outsourcing for your business, it’s time to consider working with a company that can offer you quality, cost-effective work in a time-efficient manner. Contact us today to talk more about working with Indovance and our outsourcing services. In addition to our CAD outsourcing services, Indovance is proud to offer engineering outsourcing, BIM services, and more to your business to help with costly project planning, designing, and constructing.