S. Childs is an Independent Contractor with over 15 years of drafting experience. He has worked on residential projects, commercial projects, Structural Steel and Joist design. He has a 2-year degree in Mechanical Drafting and Design.

M. Spencer is currently an independent CAD entrepreneur and consultant. She is also a Business Professional specialist in the Plant Engineering department at a fortune 500 company. She holds a BA from the University of Louisville, and also a Drafting with AutoCAD Career Diploma from Penn Foster College. She has had experience from structural design, mechanical, HVAC, electrical schematics/one-lines, to evacuation plans, and 3D modeling.

J. Rodgers has been in the field of CAD since 1984, when she attended one of the first schools in the country to offer CAD as a major. She started her career as a designer/drafter for an inventor of a unique internal combustion engine. Ms. Rodgers then joined an architectural firm and began her long career in architectural CAD. She learned architecture on the job for a firm who was a front runner in using CAD in the mid to late 1980s. She learned how to put together symbol libraries and complete complex construction documents with different CAD systems, including structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing cad. . From 1989 to 2011 Ms. Rodgers worked for an engineering and architectural firm, where she worked on hundreds of projects including commercial, residential and the majority being for the federal government. She became very familiar with different standards for each federal agency and helped implement them. She has had training and experience in REVIT and Microstation.

Mr. Raileanu has over twenty years’ experience in CAD-based solutions designing aluminum and steel machinery, fabrication drawings, processing and part designing.

He creates designs for HVAC systems. He has designed in the following areas:
• metal fabrication
• processing and part design
• drafting and MS Office
• 2D & 3D geometry creation and manipulation
• mechanical & sheet metal structural design
• product engineering and mechanical design

He has been working with AutoCAD since college days, however he works mainly on SolidWorks to design heat and ac frames, sheet metals and enclosures. He has worked with AutoCAD since 1989, however in 2004 he discovered SolidWorks and since then he has been designing 3D models and drawings only with SolidWorks. As a proficient user of SolidWorks, he believes SolidWorks has the best user interface and intuitive, reliable FEA (Failure Effects Analysis) features.

Since 2017, he has been working with a world-class manufacturer of dehumidifiers in Georgia. He has been designing and developing innovative products and production systems to support engineering requirements. He has been using SolidWorks extensively for all product designs, weldments and frames, work assemblies and subassemblies and creation of job fabrication binders for manufacturing team members. This includes all necessary part files, bend drawings, appropriate dimensional data, general overview layout, exploded views of critical component assemblies.

Since 2016, he has been working in another company, in development of anatomically-precise 3D and 4D surface imaging systems. He works with R&D products, responsible for creating and maintaining any CAD documentation required by sales, and developing detailed engineering drawings for system design, components, cabling, and prototyping 3D printing products.

From 2015 to 2016, he also provided CAD support for a pallet rack manufacturer in Georgia that offers a full range of services from design to installation of storage solutions for many industries and materials. He designed layouts and drawings for estimating, approval, permitting and fabrication.

One of his most challenging projects was one that required him to design and build a video electronic enclosure that had to be light and also appeal to specific customers in that field (medical devices). The challenges were to make it less heavy than the previous design, to fit all electronic components required, to have a good maintenance access and to look visually appealing.

He built a mobile dehumidifier unit with a small footprint to fit other competitors design, easy maintenance access, sturdy, structurally safe, outdoor proof and easy to maneuver. He also brought some new concepts to the design to challenge the competitors’ design, such as less energy consumption (less welding) and ability to stacking during shipping or storage.

He feels that the best thing about working as a CAD draftsman is that he gets to work from home.

He uses Skype and phone to communicate with clients. He shares his screen with clients for a variety of different purposes. He also uses Webex and GoToMeeting as he finds these tools to be very effective between people at different locations. He thinks they solve most of the issues related to projects. When required, however, he also meets clients face to face. He does not believe that issues can be solved only by face-to-face meetings, but in certain situations where a personal approach is required face-to-face meetings may be more appropriate.

R. Martinez is an independent CAD consultant specializing in BIM services. He provides Building Information Modeling solutions to the building and construction industries. Mr. Martinez Oversees all design activities for the company and manages a team of 3D designers (focusing on Navisworks, Autocad MEP, Revit MEP, Autocad Architecture, Revit Architecture, Autocad structural detailing, Revit Structure, 3DS Max, and Inventor). With over 15 years of design and 3D experience, Mr. Martinez and creates BIM models and performs design assist services for hospitals, cogeneration/fossil fueled power plants, Hi-Rise Condos, low voltage systems, chiller/boiler plants, commercial, residential, machine parts and landscape designs. He utilizes Autodesk MEP and Navisworks BIM software for analysis and coordination. He also attends site meetings and assists field and peer companies with their 3D and 4D needs.

O. Medina is an independent consultant with experience in Computer Aid Drafting software, mainly Chief Architect and AutoCad. For the past seven years he has been developing residential Architectural Drawings, HVAC and electrical drawings for residential and commercial projects. As an Architectural residential drafter he had been involved in the complete design process of projects, including schemes proposals through final construction documents. He has generated drawings for floor plans, elevations, sections, structural, electrical, plumbing, site plans and detailed sections. Also he had developed 3D walkthrough video clips for some of the projects. Oscar is currently studying electrical engineering on-line at Stony Brook University in New York. He is a graduated engineer in electronics from Saint Thomas University in Bogota Colombia.

R. Ruben is currently an independent CAD Designer. He previously held a position as a Senior CAD Designer in central California managing CAD design for a Civil Engineering team from 2009 to 2011. Mr. Ruben designed all aspects of design plans for water systems, instrumentation and energy systems as well as, Street improvements for land development of commercial and residential land use. Responsibilities included the design and research of fresh water reservoirs and pump stations, water utility design, Including surface profiles, surface modeling and alignment design, code compliance, architectural and structural plan design, jurisdiction requirements, and, project and team coordination. Special skills include CAD management with AutoCad.

D. Hilton has over twenty-five years graphic design experience on Macintosh and PC platforms using primarily InDesign, Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat and Microsoft Office. As an architectural and structural draftsperson, she is also adept at preparing plans, details and as-builts from client sketches and specifications using AutoCAD 2011. Ms. Hilton can prepare (2d) cost-effective photographic mock-ups of architectural structures. She is experienced in creating creative websites using CSS, HTML and Dreamweaver.

View Samples

Comments

1. Describe a project that was particularly challenging. What was challenging about it? What was the solution and what results did you achieve?

   I draw floor plans of existing homes for my husband who makes scaled birdhouses. The challenging part is that I often don’t have any dimensions to work from, so I have to interpolate the footprint and door and window sizes from photographs. I generally use standard sizes to get the best approximation.

2. Which CAD software programs do you find the most useful for the kind of work that you do?

   AutoCAD 2011

3. What are the pros and cons of the various CAD software programs that you use?

   I only use AutoCAD. I use other programs for other purposes, like Adobe products for graphic design.

4. How do you keep yourself up-to-date with the various developments in your field of work?

   I read on-line articles and talk to colleagues. Also, help forums for help.

5. Which new skills have you acquired in the past year? What new skills do you plan to acquire in the future?

   Just keeping up with the new features in the software is a full-time job 🙂

6. Are there any kinds of activities that you feel are better to outsource or subcontract than to do yourself?

   N/A

7. Send us some samples of your work, in any format (DWG, PDF, JPEG, DXF,etc.), along with a description of each sample.

   Attached is a set of drawings for a structural engineer. Also, see my website of examples:

   http://www.ilikeitdesign.com/drafting/autocad.html

8. Testimonials you would like to send us from your existing customers.

   I have never asked for any.

D. Hildebrandt is a CAD Technician with extensive experience in military, residential, municipal and commercial construction. He provides the following services:

• Participates in Civil/Architectural/Electrical/Mechanical design including but not limited to airfield and military site design, Grading, Concrete, Asphalt, Utility, Storm, Sewer, Site layout, Traffic protection, Signage, Utility plan/profile, Concrete construction, and multi-story PEB construction
• Specifies and Implements engineering drawing standards and implemented standards CAD/ detail library/filing/references/Software specification and configuration/AutoCAD and drafting specifics/hardware maintenance, specification, and configuration)
• Maintains existing site database while updating CAD/GIS files and conducting as-built surveys. Maintains GIS databases.
• Conducts as-built and topographic surveys for construction projects
• Rebuilds sites as-built survey using Trimble GPS gear and builds 3d CAD models.
• Uses 3D design software (LDD, Civil 3D and Softdesk) for contour build, pipe and structure
  profile, cross section, grading, sewer pipe design, drainage pipe design, road design, highway design, grading, cut/fill calculation, and survey data manipulation
• Provides design engineering for municipal and private sector construction projects including but not limited to site design, grading, concrete, asphalt, erosion control, retention, detention, stabilization, utility, storm, sewer, traffic protection, traffic signalization, signage, highway construction, ROW improvement, utility plan/profile, jack/bore operations
• Implements, specifies, and maintains CAD hardware, AutoCAD software, and standards
• Structural: Multi-story construction (steel, wood, concrete, masonry, tilt-up, precast), Residential Construction, Municipal and Education facilities
• Architectural: Multi-story construction (steel, wood, concrete, masonry, tilt-up, precast), Residential Construction, Municipal and Education facilities
• Electrical: Grounding, Power distribution, Lighting, Single-line, detailing, and scheduling
• Mechanical: Plumbing and HVAC layout, detail, and scheduling

Mr. Hildebrandt graduated from Porter & Chester Institute for Mechanical Design/Drafting, and has an ACI Certification for Concrete Inspection Field Technician Level 1, and a Construction Management Certificate from the University of Washington (Construction Safety, Project Management, Construction Estimating, and Project Planning and Control).

Interview with Mr. D. Hildebrandt

1. What kinds of clients do you serve? What is your particular area of expertise?

   Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Architects, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Environmental Consultants, Geologists, Telecommunications Engineers, and Builders. All phases of construction design and drafting using AutoCad, Civil 3D, and a host of graphical and processing software.

2. What was the most interesting CAD project that you ever worked on? What made it interesting?
   What challenges did you face?

   The JFK International Airport Air Train. I was one of the designers responsible for traffic control, pedestrian control, and crane movements. Time was a crucial factor, as it was near-impossible to design in advance due to construction timelines, change orders, etc. Therefore every inch of the way (a year in the making) required fast-paced engineering and realistic answers to very limiting factors.

3. Of the software tools that you use, which is your favorite and why?

   Civil 3D is my favorite, as it includes all the tools I need to help design including survey data manipulation, earthwork calculations, road design, and profiling tools for utilities and infrastructure design.

4. What trends are you observing in the market for CAD services? How have these trends affected you, and how are you responding to them?

   More dedicated services. A shrinking job market requires dedication and hard work in order to hold on to clients. I’ve got to work harder to keep the work coming. There are many people looking for work who can do what I do for a fraction of the cost so I’ve had to cut corners and make deals that work in favor of my clients. Of course they work in my favor too as I’ve not lost any work and am very grateful to be busy.

5. What do you like about working as an interim CAD draftsman or external CAD consultant working on a time-bound project?

   I’ve always viewed the 24 hours in a day as my time when I’m not required to show up to an 8 to 5 job. I can work any time at my own pace (always very fast) and spend quality time with my family. It is an all-around flexible way to operate. Sometimes it’s difficult to make time for multiple clients, but dedication and superior workmanship are the key.

6. Have you ever provided CAD consulting services remotely, either via phone, the Web or email?
   Do you use any screen sharing tools (like Webex, Skype, or GoToMeeting), and are they effective?
   What kinds of questions and problems could you tackle remotely?
   Are there any issues that you feel are better handled face-to-face?

   Yes. I do work remotely via email and phone. The background I posses enable ease in communication. I’ve been dealing with engineers for 25 years. I haven’t the need to work using screen-sharing. Closely-located clients, email, scanning, phone calls, and travel cover all the bases. Any and all engineering or design projects. Of course face-to-face is easier, but engineers need flexible and experienced designers to make their projects grow quickly and accurately.

M. Gross has many years of experience in drafting electrical systems, including a substantial number of mechanical and structural design projects. He has a multi-disciplined background and appreciation of all aspects in the design, certification, qualification, and installation process. Most recent projects have been within the aerospace industry for EASA Part 21J DOA, integrating various aircraft electrical and mechanical systems. Design experience includes aircraft structures, composite Interiors and seating, specification and report documentation. Project responsibilities consist of avionic CVE, mechanical design, installation support, function and qualification testing, including verification of ground and flight-tests.

All projects have produced approved installations and documentation in accordance with EASA, CAA, FAA or Airbus standards, with avionic equipment designed to EUROCAE ED-14 / RTCA DO160 and ABD0100 qualification standards. Previous projects have also included overseas assignments in the USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Europe. The aerospace projects have all included creation of supporting documentation for the modification, declaration of compliance, accomplishment ins-tructions, continued airworthiness, equipment assessment and Part 21G inspection documents.

D. Deery has been working as a Draftsman/3D Modeller/CAD Trainer for 23 years. He has extensive experience in: 2D Drafting 3D Modelling BIM 3D Images 3D Animation, and has a multi-disciplinary background, working in areas such as Architecture, Civil Engineering (roads, light rail and heavy rail, drainage), Structural Engineering, Power & Electrical, Mechanical and landscaping. He has worked on many projects with both large and small firms throughout Ireland and the UK. Some of these firms include: Mott MacDonald Ove Arup & Partners, Amec Process & Energy, Muir International, and Balfour Beatty. He also provides 2D/3D training, CAD support and consultancy services.

G. Palaskas is a Civil and Structural Engineer, and has carried out structural design of several residential and industrial concrete and steel buildings, including churches. Mr. Palaskas has been involved in designing timber constructions, such as flooring and roofing in residential buildings and has successfully delivered structural design of large buildings (residential complexes, hospitals, office buildings) and bridges. Mr. Palaskas has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Structural Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Earthquake Engineering.