MCADauthority.com is an independent reference for people who design, document and manufacture mechanical products with CAD.
Why this site exists
Most CAD content teaches buttons. Software changes every year, but the ideas behind good mechanical design do not. MCADauthority.com focuses on those lasting ideas: how models are structured, how design intent is captured, how drawings communicate with the workshop, how engineering data is managed and how a design becomes a manufactured part.
What you will find here
Our guides are organized in seven topics:
- Fundamentals: Start here: what mechanical CAD is, how it differs from other CAD, core concepts, terminology, workflow and how to build a career in mechanical design.
- 3D Modeling: Parametric part modeling, assemblies, surfaces, plastic parts, sheet metal and weldments: how to build robust, editable mechanical models.
- Engineering: Engineering drawings, GD&T, machine elements and mechanical product development workflows across real industries.
- Manufacturing: Design for manufacturing and assembly, CNC, injection molding, 3D printing and simulation (FEA, CFD) for mechanical designers.
- Standards & Data: CAD standards and templates, file formats and interoperability, PDM, PLM and engineering change management.
- Software & AI: MCAD software guides and comparisons, hardware, troubleshooting, automation, scripting and artificial intelligence in mechanical CAD.
- Tutorials: Hands-on practice exercises and step-by-step CAD projects for mechanical designers.
Each guide is written to be read in full and kept as a reference: practical examples, common mistakes, checklists and pointers to the relevant standards.
How we work
- Concepts before buttons. We explain why a technique works, so you can apply it in any system.
- Software-neutral. Autodesk Inventor and Fusion, SOLIDWORKS, Creo, NX, CATIA, FreeCAD and other tools are discussed on their merits, with their trade-offs.
- Practice over theory. We favor workshop-ready advice: what to check before release, what suppliers expect, what usually goes wrong.
- Open to correction. If you find an error, tell us. Our Editorial Policy explains how content is produced and corrected.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections or suggestions for new guides? Please use our contact page.