AI has become a key topic in both design and product development. More and more organizations are looking at how AI in CAD design can speed up everyday work, reduce manual tasks, and improve design quality.
SOLIDWORKS AI brings AI directly into the CAD design workflow. It is not a separate tool or chatbot, but an integrated solution designed to support mechanical design in SOLIDWORKS.
SOLIDWORKS AI is designed to:
- speed up 3D modeling
- reduce repetitive CAD tasks
- make better use of design data
- support simulation and validation
- streamline documentation
The key principle is clear: SOLIDWORKS AI is designed to assist designers, not replace them. AI can suggest, identify, automate, and speed up tasks, while the designer remains in control.
What does SOLIDWORKS AI mean in practice?
SOLIDWORKS AI consists of two main components: built-in AI capabilities in SOLIDWORKS Design and AI-powered virtual companions.
The built-in capabilities provide small but useful productivity boosts in everyday design work. For example, the software can suggest commands, assist with sketch analysis and repair, and recognize components such as fasteners. Each feature may seem like a small improvement on its own, but the impact quickly adds up when the same tasks are repeated day after day.
The AI-powered companions AURA, LEO, and MARIE take this concept further. They are AI-powered virtual companions that use natural language to help with tasks such as finding information, supporting design work, creating documentation, and automating workflows.
These virtual companions are covered in more detail in a separate blog post: What Do the SOLIDWORKS AI Virtual Companions Do?
How does SOLIDWORKS AI support mechanical CAD design?
A designer’s daily work includes many routine tasks that need to be done, even if they are not the most interesting part of the job. Drawings need to be prepared, models checked, errors corrected, information found, and the same steps repeated from one project to another. This is where AI-assisted design can provide tangible benefits.
SOLIDWORKS AI tools can help reduce repetitive work, speed up documentation, and make better use of design data. AI in mechanical design does not mean handing control over to AI. On the contrary, by reducing manual work, AI can give designers more time to focus on product functionality, manufacturability, cost, and quality.
For example, a designer could use AURA to find a previous assembly solution from an earlier project instead of modeling the same assembly from scratch.
In practice, this can mean a smoother start to modeling, faster documentation, easier assembly review, or quicker access to existing design information. The result? Less routine work and more time for actual design.
AI-powered CAD automation reduces manual work
Repetitive tasks are often the biggest hidden time drain in design work. A single step may seem insignificant, but when the same task is repeated across dozens of projects and multiple users, the overall impact quickly adds up.
AI-powered CAD automation can help reduce this friction and save time. AI can support tasks such as predicting commands, repairing sketches, recognizing components, and preparing documentation. In future workflows, AI can also play a broader role in creating CAD data, preparing simulations, and evaluating design solutions.
The benefit is not just speed. By reducing manual steps, AI can also help reduce the risk of errors. At the same time, design work can become more consistent and easier to manage.
AI supports simulation and early-stage validation
Simulation and validation are critical steps in the design process, but they are often carried out later, when the model is already well developed. At that point, making changes can be slower and more costly.
In SOLIDWORKS, AI-assisted simulation can provide faster feedback on design solutions. Early validation gives designers a quicker understanding of potential issues, performance, and whether a design is likely to perform as intended. This helps eliminate weaker options early and focus on the most promising solutions.
AI does not eliminate the need for actual simulation or expert review, but it can help designers make better decisions earlier in the design process. AI in product development can be particularly valuable at the stage when the direction of the design is still being defined.
AI in CAD design does not replace the designer
AI is still surrounded by misconceptions. One of the most common concerns is whether AI will replace the designer. With SOLIDWORKS AI, the answer is clear: AI is there to assist the designer, not replace them.
Design work still requires experience, judgment, and an understanding of what is being designed and why. AI can suggest next steps, help find information, and speed up routine tasks, but it does not remove the designer’s responsibility. The user remains in control, makes the decisions, and approves the final result.
At its best, AI works like a good colleague in the background: it does not take the wheel, but it can help you work faster and spot things earlier.
Summary
SOLIDWORKS AI brings AI directly into everyday CAD design. Its value comes from practical benefits:
- CAD automation
- fewer repetitive tasks
- faster documentation
- better use of design data
- earlier simulation and validation
AI does not replace the designer. Instead, it makes mechanical design more efficient, accurate, and streamlined—while keeping the user in control.
When SOLIDWORKS AI is integrated directly into the design workflow, its benefits can be seen where time is actually spent: in routine tasks, information retrieval, documentation, design reviews, and early-stage validation.
Would you like to know more – Contact Viljami
Viljami Antola
viljami.antola@plmgroup.fi
Viljami is a CAD and design solutions specialist who helps companies apply SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE to improve their design workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions About SOLIDWORKS AI
Here you’ll find answers to the questions we’re most frequently asked:
Will SOLIDWORKS AI replace the designer?”
No, it does not. SOLIDWORKS AI works as an assistant for the designer. It can help streamline workflows, suggest solutions, and automate repetitive tasks, but the designer is still responsible for decision-making, design intent, and approving the final result.
What are the benefits of SOLIDWORKS AI in mechanical design?
The biggest benefits come from reducing repetitive work, making better use of existing information, speeding up documentation, and enabling earlier design validation. AI helps users focus more on the actual design work and less on repetitive manual tasks.
Can SOLIDWORKS AI help with documentation?
Yes. The development of SOLIDWORKS AI is geared toward making documentation faster and more automated. This can include streamlining tasks such as drawing preparation, dimensioning, and other documentation-related work.
Why is SOLIDWORKS AI especially relevant right now?
AI is moving from general discussion to becoming a practical tool in everyday design work. When AI is integrated into CAD workflows, its benefits become visible where time is actually spent: modeling, documentation, information retrieval, checking, and validation.
What is the difference between SOLIDWORKS AI and a standard language model?
A traditional language model primarily processes language and generates likely responses based on text. SOLIDWORKS AI, on the other hand, is built around an industrial world model that also takes into account physics, geometry, constraints, and real-world behavior.
Can SOLIDWORKS AI partners be used without the 3DEXPERIENCE platform?
Using the virtual partners requires Cloud Services to be activated, but users do not need to work entirely within the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS environment. However, storing data on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform enables more advanced functionality.
