When BC means Before CAD
This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000
David J Wilson, principal of Open Archive Systems (OASys) argues the benefits of integrating paper-based and CAD-generated engineering data.
It is estimated that there are more than eight billion drawings worldwide, of which fewer than 15% are in a CAD format. The need to capture, modify and distribute existing paper designs predates CAD technology itself. But with the emergence of standards for storing drawings in raster format, and the emergence of cost- effective scanning hardware and services, the raster environment only came of age in the early 1990s. Today, there is a number of available options to input paper archives or “BC (“before-CAD”) designs into a CAD system.
Manual redrawing: just place your drawings on the desk by your CAD system and redraw them from scratch. A complete redraw of the original drawing is, and always will be, the most accurate method of conversion. It requires little capital outlay and can be useful to convert small numbers of simple designs. However, it is extremely time-consuming and a poor use of the CAD system, as the investment in CAD is being used to create designs which already exist!
Digitising: digitiser tablets are a common CAD peripheral and the technique involves placing a drawing on the tablet and using the puck to trace over the original design, using a CAD system. This method is faster than just redrawing the design, but it is prone to errors and is still labour-intensive and slow.
Service bureaux: outsourcing to service bureaux is a common method for handling small jobs, pilot projects or quick turnarounds. There is a savings on resources and little or no capital outlay for equipment. Bureaux typically use one or all of the methods listed here. These services, however, may not meet the security or design needs of a company. Be sure to choose a partner based on their experience and knowledge of your design practices and needs. Remember, the cost of conversion is directly related to the quality of the end result.
Scanning: scanning paper drawings to work within the proven environment of CAD and the merging environment of EDM or workflow offers the most control in the transition from paper. The scanning process can be customised to fit the individual drawing or its application. Scanning has been successfully implemented in both large and small companies to solve integration problems between paper and CAD.
Once drawings have been scanned, their value increases, because of the ways to use the newly scanned design in a CAD system.
Of companies’ operating expenditure, it is estimated that 7-10% is spent on manual document management processes, re-engineering the flow of information or paper trail. An organisation will realise tremendous savings by re-engineering the paper trail.
Through the implementation of a managed engineering archive, searching time as well as re-engineering time become past history. Substantial savings can also be realised in a managed revision process. The reliance on manual drafting and control of drawing revisions on older documentation can be put to rest.
CAD has already proven itself as a tool to design and maintain product and service documentation. Applying this tool to archived resources allows the CAD advantage to be applied completely. These electronic drawings can then be quickly revised, modified, plotted or copied in a fraction of the time it takes to modify paper designs. The design process can be come highly streamlined, providing substantial cost savings, improved product quality and faster time to market.
Once files are in electronic format, document management can be used to further enhance productivity. Options range from a simple file storage system with limited revision tracking to a system that securely controls viewing, editing and distribution of all engineering-related information.
Many organisations are required to comply with standards and regulations that virtually necessitate electronic document management. According to the British Standards Institute, 47% of ISO certification failure is due to poor documentation control. Cost and time justification can be realised by improving the ECN/ECO process and achieving ISO 9000 certification.
A comprehensive, 12-page guide covering the real-world issues associated with integrating paper-based and CAD-generated engineering data is now available free from GTX Europe, which supplies raster editing and conversion software.
The hidden costs of paper
Manual methods of handling, storing and maintaining paper drawings are difficult, time consuming and costly, since most information is still in paper form. The following are some of the obvious problems:
- Paper drawings, Mylar, bluelines and other media are susceptible to ageing.
- Manual-based revisions are costly.
- Paper is slow to distribute – it takes longer to copy and distribute a single piece of paper than it takes to distribute or reproduce several documents electronically.
- You may be fully modernised with a full suite of CAD software, but what about your contractors, subcontractors and business partners? Many transactions between companies are inefficiently conducted with manual archives, even when the originals may have been CAD files.
- Paper is cumbersome. It is often hard to find specific information in specific documents. Electronic searching is more efficient and faster.
- Paper is restrictive in format. It is limited to graphics and text, while electronic documents can contain hyperlinks, audio and video.
- Paper is static. It can be out of date even before it is distributed because of lengthy release cycles. The added concern of who has the most recent revision intensifies this problem.
- Facility costs for the storage and maintenance of paper archives can be substantial. Justifying a document management system should be based on significant reductions in facility costs alone.
- Paper gets lost. It is estimated that 5-7% of technical assets are lost or mis-filed using manual procedures for handing paper drawings.
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