Mechanical CAD Courses and Advance Program Options Mechanical drafting technicians use computer-aided drafting (CAD) hardware and software to design and create 3-dimensional models of mechanical devices. Many programs require the completion of mathematics courses in algebra and trigonometry prior to enrollment. Beginning CAD Course This foundation course teaches students to operate CAD software and hardware. Traditional technical drafting skills, including freehand sketching, are reviewed. Basic CAD skills are introduced and used to create 2-dimensional representations. Various software packages, including AutoCAD, are also taught. Mechanical CAD Course In this course, instructors introduce CAD techniques for mechanical drafting, building on the skills learned in the beginning CAD course. Mechanical CAD students create detailed engineering drawings using CAD software such as solidworks . Industry standards for engineering design, including geometric dimensions and tolerance standards, are incorporated in class work. Manufacturing Materials and Processes Course Properties of various manufacturing materials are surveyed in this course. Processes used to engineer products, such as forming and molding, are also covered. Specific materials studied include metals, plastics and ceramics. This course is a prerequisite for a course in machine design. Machine Design Course Students study the function of individual machine components and then design each component using CAD software. Coursework concentrates on material choice, precision calculations and cost estimates. A portion of the course is focused on the interconnectivity of mechanical elements such as belts, bearings, cams and shafts, in machine design.