Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) has been incredibly valuable to many engineering, contracting and creative professionals over the last several decades. Companies spent over $9.5 billion on CAD applications and services last year. Experts often talk about the role of CAD technology when it comes to more generalized services, such as architectural design and mechanical engineering. However, it can also be very important when it comes to making decisions in more specialized specialties as well, such as flooring.
In order to appreciate the benefits of CAD in the flooring industry, you need to have a general understanding of what this technology is and how it has evolved. You can find a primer of CAD technology and its role in vinyl click flooring designs below.
What is CAD technology?
CAD is a form of drafting and graphic design that relies on computers. It allowed drafters and engineers to create new renderings without manually drawing them by hand. Thinking Computer also talked about the benefits of technology for the construction industry, which includes CAD.
The first CAD applications were developed back in the 1960s. However, it took a couple of decades before they became widely used. Once they started to gain traction, drafting, architectural and engineering professionals recognize that CAD software applications could drastically improve the efficiency of their processes.
CAD technology is going to continue to shape these professions for the foreseeable future. The most obvious benefits that it provides are with expediting the drafting and design process. However, it can also be useful in a number of other ways. CAD technology can be exported to other software, which can help perform simulations to see how the final design would perform in real life scenarios. Designers can also see how my new changes would impact the rest of the design, especially at scale. This is a huge benefit of using software for graphic design.
CAD is impacting the flooring profession in surprising ways
Architects, drafters and engineers are not the only professionals that have been impacted by advances in CAD technology over the years. Flooring professionals have also adapted in response to new CAD technology. Here are some of the changes that it has spurred.
Improving durability of flooring across various structures
Durability is one of the most important factors when it comes to planning a flooring layout. Newer CAD technology helps flooring professionals make better decisions that ensure greater durability.
These applications can help flooring professionals better see how different materials with different dimensions respond to varying loads. When used in conjunction with other applications, they can observe the long-term deflection and warping different materials will experience.
This shows that CAD technology can be incredibly useful for improving the longevity of flooring plans. Designers can choose materials that are going to last longer based on expected foot traffic.
See how flooring options can change overall dimensions of a structure
Flooring materials are usually thin, so they seem negligible in the grand scheme of things. However, multiple layers of flooring can have a noticeable impact on a building structure. CAD technology makes it easier to evaluate these changes.
Make sure dimensions properly fit the structure
One of the biggest frustrations that many contractors and professionals face is that they don’t get the dimensions right when planning to install new flooring. They might cut beams the wrong length or fail to adequately budget for all of the materials that they need.
CAD software is great for making sure that the dimensions are perfectly measured and align with the structural needs. They can save a lot of time, money and frustration play planning the layout correctly.