PILLAR CAD & DRAWING INTELLIGENCE
CAD & Drawing Intelligence Automation
Automate RFQ-to-BOM extraction, engineering review, and change detection from CAD files and drawings. AI-powered document intelligence for manufacturing.
The Problem: Manual Drawing Review, RFQ Processing, and BOM Extraction
Manufacturing runs on drawings and documents. RFQs arrive as PDFs and emails. Engineers spend hours extracting dimensions, tolerances, and material specs to build BOMs and quotes. Change orders and redlines pile up, and comparing revisions manually is error-prone and slow. Experienced engineers burn time on routine document review instead of high-value design and problem-solving.
The bottleneck isn’t expertise — it’s throughput. Manual extraction, cross-checking, and approval workflows don’t scale. CAD & Drawing Intelligence automation changes that by using AI to read, parse, and act on engineering documents at machine speed.
AI-Powered Solutions for Engineering Documents
Modern document intelligence can extract structured data from unstructured sources. For manufacturing, that means:
Extract Dimensions & Tolerances from PDFs
AI parses drawing PDFs to pull dimensions, tolerances, material callouts, and surface finishes into structured fields — no manual data entry.
Automate BOM Generation
From drawings and RFQs, AI generates bill-of-materials with part numbers, quantities, and specs, ready for ERP or quoting systems.
Detect Redlines & Revisions
AI compares drawing versions to flag changes, highlight redlines, and route revisions to the right reviewers based on impact.
These capabilities plug into your existing CAD, PLM, and ERP workflows — we don’t replace your tools; we automate the manual steps between them. For a step-by-step guide to RFQ automation, see our blog: Automate RFQ to BOM Extraction. For change management, read Redlines, Revisions, and Change Detection.
Integration with CAD, PLM & ERP Systems
Document intelligence only delivers value when it connects to your systems. We integrate with CAD platforms (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Creo, etc.), PLM (Windchill, Teamcenter, Arena), and ERP so that extracted data flows into BOMs, work orders, and change workflows. Documents can be ingested from email, shared drives, or PLM vaults — we map your sources and design the pipeline to fit your process.
Security and audit trails matter. We design solutions that respect access controls, log extractions and changes, and maintain traceability for compliance. No rip-and-replace; we extend what you have.
Use Cases: RFQ→BOM, Engineering Change, Drawing Comparison
Three high-impact use cases drive most of our CAD & Drawing Intelligence work:
- RFQ to BOM: Incoming RFQs (PDFs, drawings, spreadsheets) are parsed automatically. AI extracts part counts, dimensions, materials, and tolerances; generates a structured BOM; and feeds pricing logic. Quotes that used to take days go out in hours. Win rates and customer satisfaction improve.
- Engineering change workflows: When revisions or change orders arrive, AI compares them to the released version, flags critical changes (dimensions, tolerances, materials), and routes approvals based on impact. Engineers focus on high-risk changes; routine updates move faster.
- Drawing comparison: Before release, AI compares new drawings to previous versions, highlights differences, and generates a change summary. Reduces errors from missed redlines and speeds release cycles.
Each use case can be piloted independently and scaled across departments once proven. We help you prioritize based on ROI and data availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AI extract dimensions and tolerances from PDF drawings?
Yes. Document intelligence models parse drawing PDFs to extract dimensions, tolerances, material callouts, surface finishes, and other structured data. The output feeds BOM generation, quoting systems, and ERP — eliminating manual data entry and reducing errors. Accuracy depends on drawing quality and format; we validate on your actual documents during the pilot.
How does RFQ-to-BOM automation work?
AI parses incoming RFQs (PDFs, drawings, spreadsheets), extracts part counts, dimensions, materials, and tolerances, and generates a structured BOM. The BOM feeds your pricing logic and ERP. Quotes that used to take days can go out in hours. We integrate with your existing systems so the workflow stays connected end-to-end.
Can document intelligence integrate with our CAD and PLM systems?
Yes. We integrate with CAD platforms (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Creo, etc.), PLM (Windchill, Teamcenter, Arena), and ERP. Documents can be ingested from email, shared drives, or PLM vaults. Extracted data flows into BOMs, work orders, and change workflows. We design solutions that respect access controls and maintain audit trails for compliance.
How does AI detect redlines and drawing revisions?
AI compares drawing versions to flag changes, highlight redlines, and generate change summaries. It can route revisions to the right reviewers based on impact (e.g., dimension vs. cosmetic changes). This reduces errors from missed redlines and speeds release cycles. Engineers focus on high-risk changes; routine updates move faster.
Ready to Automate CAD & Drawing Workflows?
Start with a pilot in 30–45 days. Book a discovery call to discuss your document workflows and see if the AI Incubation Lab is the right fit.