Design Automation: The Force Multiplier for Custom Product Engineering

Introduction to Design Automation

For manufacturers of configurable or custom products, the design process can be a bottleneck. Every new variation requires engineering input, leading to delays, errors, and strained resources. Design automation solves this by embedding engineering logic directly into the design process, enabling the rapid generation of models, drawings, and bills of materials (BOMs). It’s a powerful shift that transforms how companies approach Engineer-to-Order (ETO) manufacturing.

The Evolution of Design Automation

Design automation began as simple macros and templates but has since evolved into sophisticated rule-based systems. What once took days of manual effort can now be done in minutes, with built-in logic ensuring accuracy and consistency. This shift allows engineers to focus on innovation rather than repetition.

Today, automation tools like DriveWorks are leading the way in mechanical design automation, enabling companies to configure, price, and quote (CPQ) complex products with speed and precision. DriveWorks, built to work seamlessly with SOLIDWORKS, allows users to capture and reuse design knowledge by creating intelligent rules and logic that automate the creation of 3D CAD models, 2D drawings, and manufacturing data. As a computer-aided design solution, it bridges the gap between engineering and sales by transforming inputs into manufacturable outputs with incredible efficiency. It also serves as a powerful product configurator, enabling customers to tailor complex products quickly and accurately.

Core Concepts of Design Automation

Defining Design Automation

Design automation refers to the use of software to automate repetitive design tasks by capturing engineering knowledge, rules, and constraints. This enables the automatic creation of 3D CAD models, 2D drawings, and product documentation based on input parameters.

With DriveWorks, companies can create custom forms and rule sets that drive product design and outputs based on real-time customer inputs, giving sales teams the ability to respond quickly with accurate visuals, pricing, and documentation. These types of automation tools not only accelerate design, but also boost collaboration between sales and engineering. When paired with a product configurator, the experience becomes even more seamless and user-friendly for both internal teams and customers.

Key Components and Tools

Key tools include configuration engines, parametric CAD systems like SOLIDWORKS, and rule-based automation platforms such as DriveWorks. These automation tools work together to streamline the product design workflow, eliminating redundant steps and ensuring design consistency.

DriveWorks stands out by providing a scalable solution from DriveWorksXpress, which is included with every seat of SOLIDWORKS, to DriveWorks Pro, a full-featured automation and CPQ solution that integrates deeply with sales and engineering workflows.

Electronic Design Automation (EDA)

Understanding EDA in VLSI Design

EDA software enables chip designers to manage immense complexity by automating logic design, layout generation, and functional verification in VLSI systems. Logic synthesis is a foundational part of this workflow, ensuring that high-level functional specifications are efficiently mapped to silicon-ready designs. These tools are essential in the development of integrated circuits, where speed, precision, and scalability are critical. Logic synthesis is a key step in this process, transforming high-level descriptions into optimized gate-level implementations. It reduces development time and improves performance and reliability. Whether you’re working on mechanical systems or electronics, automation tools like these are essential for modern engineering and the design of sophisticated electronic systems.

Tools and Software in EDA

Popular EDA tools include:

• Cadence
• Synopsys
• Mentor Graphics

These tools provide schematic capture, PCB layout, simulation, and manufacturing outputs, all of which play a vital role in the creation and optimization of integrated circuits for modern electronics. Logic synthesis tools within these platforms ensure that designs meet performance, area, and power requirements. Just like in mechanical design, Electronic Design Automation streamlines repetitive work, improves accuracy, and shortens design cycles, particularly in the development of electronic systems used in everything from consumer devices to aerospace technologies.

Applications of Design Automation in Different Industries

Design Automation in Electronics

In the electronics industry, Electronic Design Automation accelerates the creation of circuit designs, PCB layouts, and embedded systems, streamlining workflows involved in producing integrated circuits for a wide range of devices. Automated verification tools catch design flaws early in the development cycle, saving time and costs. Logic synthesis contributes by automating the translation of functional designs into gate-level representations, which is essential for chip fabrication. Many of these advancements have helped streamline the production of modern electronic systems by eliminating manual bottlenecks. Logic synthesis plays a critical role here, helping engineers translate abstract functional descriptions into optimized logic networks ready for layout and fabrication.

Automation in Mechanical Design

Mechanical engineering teams use platforms like DriveWorks to create design rules that automatically generate models and drawings for configurable products. For example, a materials handling manufacturer used DriveWorks to reduce conveyor system design and quoting time from days to hours.

By embedding their engineering logic into DriveWorks, the company allowed sales reps to configure systems in real time, generating 3D previews, pricing, and manufacturing documentation without tying up engineering resources. This is design automation in action—turning custom requests into deliverables at scale.

Integration with Manufacturing Systems

Automated design outputs can be integrated directly into ERP, PLM, and manufacturing execution systems (MES), creating a seamless bridge from sales to production. DriveWorks supports this integration with a suite of automation tools that output data in formats ready for downstream use, from DXFs and BOMs to automated emails and PDFs.

Benefits of Implementing Design Automation

Increased Productivity

Automation removes manual bottlenecks, enabling a small engineering team to handle a larger volume of custom work. With DriveWorks, this means customers can generate fully configured products and production-ready documentation in a matter of minutes.

Error Reduction

Design rules ensure compliance with engineering standards, reducing the risk of errors in downstream processes. By removing the need for manual CAD edits, companies can avoid costly rework and miscommunication.

Time and Cost Savings

Instantly generating drawings, models, and BOMs saves time and labor costs, accelerating lead times and improving win rates. One DriveWorks user in the industrial equipment sector reported reducing quote turnaround time from four days to four hours, giving them a significant competitive edge.

Challenges and Limitations of Design Automation

Addressing Complexity in Design Processes

Highly complex products may require significant effort to translate rules into automation logic, but the long-term gains often outweigh the initial investment. DriveWorks makes this easier by offering modular building blocks and logic-driven interfaces that simplify the setup process.

Managing Integration with Legacy Systems

Legacy CAD and ERP systems can present challenges, but modern automation tools like DriveWorks offer APIs and pre-built connectors to support seamless data exchange and system interoperability.

Future Trends in Design Automation

Innovations and Technological Advancements

Expect continued improvements in integration, cloud-based deployment, and support for more advanced geometry and simulation capabilities. DriveWorks is actively investing in expanding web deployment options and enhanced UI experiences to bring design automation closer to the point of sale.

The Role of AI in Design Automation

AI and machine learning are beginning to assist in identifying design patterns, optimizing parameters, and generating new configurations especially valuable in the increasingly complex realm of integrated circuits. As AI evolves, it may also enhance logic synthesis processes by predicting optimal logic structures based on historical design data. While AI is still in the early stages of adoption in CPQ and design automation, platforms like DriveWorks are paving the way with logic-driven automation that could be enhanced with future AI capabilities.

Learning and Developing Skills in Design Automation

Available Resources and Learning Tools

Engineers can upskill through vendor training (e.g., DriveWorks Learning Portal), online courses, and industry webinars. DriveWorks offers structured certification paths, video tutorials, and a thriving user community that supports knowledge sharing and best practices.

Getting started is easier than ever, especially with DriveWorksXpress included in every SOLIDWORKS installation allowing engineers to experiment with rule-building and automation without additional investment.

Design automation isn’t just about speeding up the design process. It’s about redefining what’s possible for companies delivering configurable and custom products. With tools like DriveWorks and the broader category of automation tools, engineering teams can embed their expertise directly into the product lifecycle, scale without hiring, and empower sales teams to quote with confidence.

Design automation is no longer a luxury, it’s a competitive necessity. And for companies ready to embrace Engineer-to-Order at scale, DriveWorks is the tool that makes it possible.