CAD design (Computer-Aided Design) in the field of Mechanical Engineering is used to create 3D models and technical documentation of mechanical components or systems. The CAD design process allows mechanical engineers to design, analyze, and validate their products before entering the production stage. Meanwhile, SolidWorks has become one of the most popular CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software in the industrial world.
SolidWorks is a parametric design and modeling software widely used in the manufacturing and engineering industries. Developed by Dassault Systèmes, SolidWorks is designed to assist engineers and designers in creating complex 3D models, designing products, and generating technical drawings quickly and efficiently.
SolidWorks offers a variety of powerful features and tools that enable mechanical engineers to create 3D models, analyze performance, and produce technical documentation. Some key features of SolidWorks relevant to CAD design in mechanical engineering include Parametric Modeling, Part Modeling, Assembly Modeling, Simulation, Drawing & Detailing, Sheet Metal Design, PDM Integration, Motion Analysis, Add-ons, and Existence.
SolidWorks has become an industry standard in many applications, including consumer product design, automotive, aerospace, and many more. The advantages of SolidWorks make it a popular choice among mechanical engineers.
The list of features above explains what the software can do, but it does not mention what the results must adhere to. Technical drawings, both 2D and 3D, are created manually or via computer, following the standards established in ISO 128-1. Its second edition was published in May 2020, and ISO reviewed and confirmed it in 2026, so that version is still valid. This standard allows drawings from one office to be readable by another office without additional explanations. This means that the skills being learned are not actually "operating SolidWorks," but rather producing documentation that complies with shared conventions.
For workflows based on 3D models, the standards are further separated. ISO 16792:2021 regulates the preparation, revision, and presentation of digital product definition data, and recognizes two methods simultaneously: 3D models only, or 3D models accompanied by 2D drawings in digital form. This standard is the reference behind the annotation features on models that are now present in many CAD software. One important note before you cite it in company procedures: the 2021 edition is already set to be revised, and the draft for its replacement is underway, so check the applicable edition when you read it.
What is referred to in this article as add-ons conceals the most immediate concern for beginners, which is file exchange. SolidWorks native files do not always open intact on other devices, so delivering work to suppliers or clients using different software usually goes through neutral formats. The standard is ISO 10303, better known as STEP, and the part used for model-based mechanical engineering is ISO 10303-242. Its fourth edition will be published in August 2025, covering geometry, dimensional tolerance data and geometry, documentation in the form of annotated 3D models or drawings, and long-term storage. So when a colleague asks for "send the STEP," that is what they are referring to.
The consequences for anyone wanting to learn are quite clear. Memorizing menu locations is the quickest part to complete and the quickest to become outdated. What lasts longer is the part that is not brand-bound, namely drawing conventions, how to write tolerances, and how to submit data so that it can be opened by others. Software versions change every year, while documentation conventions determine whether your model can still be used by others five years from now. Learn both, and prioritize the standard-based aspects.
Sources
- ISO – ISO 128-1:2020, Technical product documentation (TPD), General principles of representation, Part 1, edition 2, published May 2020, reviewed and confirmed in 2026
- ISO – ISO 16792:2021, Technical product documentation, Digital product definition data practices, edition 3, published April 2021, set to be revised
- ISO – ISO 10303-242:2025, Product data representation and exchange, Part 242, edition 4, published August 2025, replacing the 2022 edition