CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARAMETRIC MODELING SOFTWARE FOR YOUR ET PROGRAM

Keeping up with technology has always been a challenge, and parametric modeling software is a prime example.This paper presents findings from a project that deals primarily with answering a few key questions that every Engineering Technology program should ask when incorporating 3D graphics software into its program: What software is being used in industry?Which software packages should we use?Is it beneficial for students to be familiar with more than one type of software?How important are software certifications?A survey was created in order to help answer these questions.The survey was then sent out to several Engineering Technology program constituents.The constituents are made up of Advisory Board members and various industries that have hired Mechanical, Manufacturing, Plastics, and Electronics students in the past.Results from the survey were assessed and then decisions were made about how to implement the software into the ET program curriculum. Keeping Up With TechnologyFor years two-dimensional drafting has been the standard for creating drawings.These drawings were used to convey ideas to customers or to give machinists something to create an actual part.Drafting on a table with mechanical pencils, T-squares, and triangles was the preferred way to create drawings.But as with everything else in today"s society, technology is driving change in the world of engineering graphics.The days of learning to draft on a board are quickly giving way to three-dimensional, parametric modeling as the preferred method of conveying geometry and dimensions of a part.