[msimon785]

This question is highly subjective. Team to team, based on a team's resources, design process, experience and prototyping, CAD can take between around 1-4 weeks with 1+ students. It is important, however, to differentiate (and in doing so realize how they can and should be intertwined) the time and students taken by the design process and that taken by the actual Computer Aided Design of the competition robot. To be successful, a design process should incorporate the testing of ideas in both theoretical and physical media. By this I mean that a design should be optimized in your CAD package before being further pursued. In this way, CAD and initial design overlap from the start. Of course, once a design is decided upon, they are one and the same.

For the past 3 years, I have been the lone Computer Aided Designer on my team(s). I usually finish in around 2 weeks, with certain systems designed after or during the initial manufacturing. I have found that while I have gotten extremely used to working alone in really designing the robot, the system is not sustainable. The 2013 season will be my 6th and last as a student, and it is thus crucial for the team's success and sustainability that I form, train and develop a CAD team. MorTorq's CAD team in the 2013 season will consist of approximately 4 core members. It is a requirement, however, that members of the mechanical team display competency and ability in CAD.

I find that it is crucial that you trust each and every member of the CAD team. Otherwise, you will fail to maintain both a fluid image and design as well as proper design practices. It is my suggestion that you train anyone willing to learn in your team's package of choice (I think you mentioned Inventor), but come season, only the dedicated few (under or around 5) work on the implementation of the design.