Skip to content
DOWNWAY

CAD engineering

3D models and drawings your shop can build from

Downway models parts and assemblies in SolidWorks and turns them into fabrication drawings to ASME Y14.5 or ISO, with STEP, DXF and a bill of materials. You send a sketch, an old drawing or a sample; we send back a fixed-price scope first, then a file set your shop floor and suppliers can use without calling you.

Send a drawingHow we work

What we deliver

DeliverableFiles and formats
Part and assembly modelsSLDPRT, SLDASM (native) · STEP AP214/AP242 · IGES · Parasolid
Fabrication drawingsPDF + SLDDRW · views, sections, dimensions, tolerances, notes
Flat patterns and profilesDXF / DWG for laser, plasma, waterjet and press brake
Bill of materialsXLSX / CSV with part numbers, quantities, materials and finishes
Revision recordRevision table on every sheet + change log

Drawings in mm, inches or dual-dimensioned (mm / in), to the standard on your title block.

How it works

  1. 1

    Send what you have

    Sketch, PDF, legacy DWG, STEP from a customer, photos of a part. NDA first if you need one.

  2. 2

    Review and scope

    We list missing information and issues, and send a fixed price with deliverables and dates.

  3. 3

    Model and draft

    Built to your title block, standard, units and part-numbering rules. Questions go to one contact.

  4. 4

    Check and deliver

    Each drawing is checked against a written checklist before the set goes out.

Who it's for

  • Machine shops that receive customer sketches and need a buildable drawing before quoting
  • Manufacturers whose engineer is busy with production and has a backlog of drawings
  • Product companies moving a design from prototype to a documented production part

Who it's not for

  • Projects that need a stamped drawing from a licensed Professional Engineer in your state or province
  • Work that must be done inside your own PDM/PLM vault with no file export allowed
  • Same-day turnaround on large assemblies

What a buildable drawing needs

A drawing is buildable when a machinist or a supplier can make and inspect the part without calling the designer. In practice that means:

  • every feature is located from a datum the part can actually be fixtured on;
  • tolerances come from function, not from a default block copied from the last job;
  • material, finish, heat treatment and edge breaks are stated, not assumed;
  • the revision on the drawing matches the revision of the model it came from.

We check every sheet against that list before it leaves. It is the same list a shop uses when it pushes back on a customer drawing, because that is where the founder’s background is: CAD/CAM programming and CNC machining before CAD outsourcing.

Starting points we work from

You have We deliver
Hand sketch or whiteboard photo 3D model + fully dimensioned drawing
Old 2D drawing (paper, PDF or DWG) 3D model rebuilt from the drawing, with conflicts listed
Customer STEP with no drawing Drawing with tolerances proposed for your approval
Physical part only See reverse engineering
Model already done Drawings, BOM and flat patterns only

How we keep your files safe

Files arrive through the channel you choose (your SharePoint, Box, Google Drive or a link we send), are stored in one project folder per client, and are deleted on request at the end of the project. We do not use client files to train AI models.

FAQ

Which CAD software do you use?

We model natively in SolidWorks. You receive the native files plus neutral formats (STEP, IGES, Parasolid, DXF) that open in Inventor, Creo, NX, Fusion, Solid Edge or any CAM system.

Can you work to our drawing template and standard?

Yes. Send your title block, drawing template and a sample drawing you consider correct. We match sheet format, units, tolerancing style and notes.

Do you apply GD&T?

Yes, when the part needs it. We apply geometric tolerances per ASME Y14.5 or ISO GPS based on function and how the part is inspected, and we keep plain ± tolerances where they are enough.

How is the price set?

Per scope, before work starts. The free review of your first drawing is where the scope comes from: number of parts, drawing sheets, complexity and what you already have.

Who owns the files?

You do, once the project is paid. We sign your NDA before receiving files and never show client work without written permission.

Related

Send us one drawing

Pick a part that has caused questions on the shop floor. We return a review with issues found, suggested fixes and a fixed-price scope.

Send a drawing