Engineering design firms provide total design for components, products, and equipment. Companies and individuals that need design work done but do not have the capabilities or resources can turn to an engineering design service to provide the needed work. Finished product requirements are initially laid out and revisited periodically throughout the design process. The finished product can include drawings, bills of material, material specs, and testing standards.

Types of Design

There are a number of different types of design performed by engineering design companies.

In the past, most designing was done in design and drafting rooms on paper:

Image credit: flickr.com

Today, engineering design services are performed mainly on computers:

Image credit: Copeland Furniture

Most design work is done using CAD (Computer Aided Design) tools. These tools allow for modeling, simulation, 3D scanning, machine tool integration and a variety of other tasks that would normally require separate operators or departments to handle.

Here is a cam operated lock design, created using CAD software:

Video credit: Safire Design Engineers / CC BY-SA 4.0

For more information on CAD services, visit the Computer Aided Design Services page on Engineering360.

Types of Services

Within each category of design, these service companies may provide a number of different services.

• Certification documentation
• Load analysis
• Manufacturing drawings
• Manufacturing support
• Part and material specification
• Product manuals

Location

Location can be an important factor when selecting a design service company. Some applications may require collaboration of personnel or materials, making local companies much more desirable and convenient.