Autodesk Fusion 360 is a cloud-based 3D CAD, CAM, and CAE tool which integrates design, modeling, and simulation capabilities.
$70
per month
Teamcenter
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Teamcenter is a product lifecycle management system designed to help organizations integrate and standardize product development processes across functional silos.
This software has been so easy to use from day one! I couldn't be more thrilled with it. Being an SME, it is offered on an annual basis free of charge. My network of engineers are amazed I am able to accomplish what I have using this software when the companies they come from are paying thousands for licensing. I also would like to note that Autodesk offer an incredible specialization to really round out your skills via Coursera.
Teamcenter is growing very well in active workspace as a web-based client, but again, when I'm coming from the manufacturing point of view or a Build of Processes point of view, the software easy plan still needs to improve in a way. Of course, I think they're improving it also in a good way, but it's still not yet matured so from today onwards I can simply ask my users from product resistant to using the plan and push it further. I think there we have to improve more.
The first PRO of Fusion 360 that always comes to mind is how versatile it is. Fusion 360 is the first CAD/CAM software that also includes other key features that CAD programs of this size don't have.
Fusion 360 has a generous licensing structure that gives those just starting out a place to start with a professional level CAD program. As a result, this has helped build up a huge community and user base around Fusion 360.
Fusion 360 is updated on a monthly basis. This has proven to be a huge advantage over Solidworks (something else I use) which is only updated once a year. The nice thing about monthly updates, other than regular bug fixes, is that the team can adapt quickly and no one is taken by storm with a big overhaul of the UI or features at the beginning of the year.
It is an easy-to-use tool and integrates many capabilities to manage CAD better than any other tool.
It is used by many companies with a great global presence and that has generated confidence for us when we decided to try it, the results have been satisfactory.
The user interface of this tool is not complex, it is easy to navigate and integrates a lot of functionalities that speed up our work significantly; as well as functionalities such as sectioning, displacing, moving, positioning, transforming, among others that have a lot to do with CAD management.
It works via the web through the browser, so it is not necessary to download any application that takes up space and more resources on the computer.
Fusion 360 is a very simple program, so once you begin to draw more complex 3D models, the software gets sluggish and loses its fluidity.
It would be really nice if Fusion 360 could output a model as a SolidWorks file so I can begin to draw something out in Fusion 360 and then pick it up in SolidWorks when I need to do some more advanced functions.
Because Fusion 360 is a simpler program, there are a few functions such as 3D sketches that are not intuitive like all the rest of the functions are.
Because of our current customer needs, we will most likely maintain use of Siemens PLM products for some time. Aside from the initial software cost, we pay for yearly maintenance. Maintaining our yearly maintenance licensing with Siemens, we receive access to all of the latest software releases, as well as premier technical support
As previously mentioned, due to the intense amount of features and modules present in the software, the usability of the software suffers greatly. Many of the features are not used in our context, and many of the modules are not purchased, but the options are still present on the interface leading to a lot of clutter, much of which is never used. The interfaces suffer from a lack of design and tend to feel like a conglomerate of Windows 98 elements.
Support is conducted via internet Q&A boards; newcomers to 3D modeling may find that articulating their questions in the language of CAD software is the tricky part — once they find the right technical term for what they're trying to accomplish, answers come quickly. Autodesk also provides a large library of educational tutorial videos that make the initial process of learning Fusion 360's interface much easier.
In the time that we have used Teamcenter we have received a good response from the support team, they have great customer service, we have solved the problems that have arisen very quickly, and they are attentive and answer us if we have any questions.
Autodesk Inventor excels at daily core engineering tasks. When integrated with Vault management systems and part libraries, Autodesk Inventor is tough to beat when you need a mechanical design solution. When Inventor and Vault are setup properly it allows for a very efficient design workflow. I think it would be difficult to achieve the same amount of workflow efficiency with Autodesk Fusion 360, that said, Autodesk Fusion 360 offers a very good toolset at a much lower cost. I can maintain a yearly subscription of Autodesk Fusion 360 and get about 85% of the functionality that is available via the Inventor design suite for the cost of about 2 months of an Inventor subscription. I then also get access to manufacturing plugins with Autodesk Fusion 360 but lose a lot in the drawing environment. Inventor beats Autodesk Fusion 360 hands down when it comes to documentation.
Teamcenter is a more robust and faster application, with better search capability and easier customization. There is a reason you find companies using CATIA as their CAD software with Teamcenter as their PLM application! I don't know anyone who can name a company using NX with Enovia as their PLM!
Teamcenter exhibits commendable scalability, meriting an 8 out of 10. Its architecture accommodates our expanding material science firm seamlessly. With modular expansions and flexible configurations, it adapts well to increased data volumes and user growth. However, while robust, occasional complexities arise during extensive scaling, hindering a perfect score but substantiating a high ranking for its scalability.
