
Computer-Aided Design Experts in Essen
for precise models and drawings, matched in minutes with AIHire experts who create accurate 2D drawings, 3D models and production-ready technical documentation with CAD tools such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks and CATIA. FRATCH matches you quickly with vetted, available freelancers who fit your project requirements.
Meet FRATCH Experts in Essen, who have recently used Computer-Aided Design
Joachim Q.
Last position:
Managing Director & Project Manager at POWERJO GmbH
- Project planning and project management of packaging lines
- Support of the entire project process and optimization through claim management, open points list, regular project meetings, stakeholder management
- Feasibility analysis, packaging development and tendering of a packaging line for frozen baked goods for a large bakery
- Technical consulting on the process and production of a circular packaging solution
- Support for startups (design office, food producer, consulting company, ...)
- Project manager on the customer side for a heating equipment manufacturer, packaging technology/central palletizing
- Technical sales in packaging technology in northern and western Germany
Dane C.
Last position:
Mechanical Design Engineer at SUSS MicroTec
- Independent work as a Mechanical Design Engineer.
- Design work in SolidWorks 2022.
- Derivation of drawings for created assemblies and individual parts, considering surface finish, machining, and material.
- 3D design and redesign of modules for computer chip manufacturing.
- 3D design and implementation of concepts in close coordination with the design team.
- Design of a solvent (acids and bases) extraction system focusing on cost reduction and automatic retention.
- Use of 3D sketches for the layout of hose guides.
- Reading pneumatic diagrams and implementing them in CAD.
- Development of a gas component plate to supply four lines, including filter integration and design simplification.
- Prototype construction and new development.
- Import and processing of STEP files.
- 3D design of E-cabinet components based on templates.
- Use of PLM systems SAP and ECTR for saving, copying, linking, attaching data, status changes, and versioning.
- Creation of work lists, maintenance of material master data and change numbers.
- Structure maintenance and BOM export.
- Working with transactions for change, document, and material masters.
- Creation of layouts for the complete system and individual modules for internal coordination.
Artjom I.
Last position:
Implementation and Process Manager Warehouse Management and Material Flow & Lean at Siemens Mobility
- Process improvement and harmonization in logistics for the worldwide rollout of SAP EWM in the business segment
- Supporting tasks in Lean topics for the strategic development of the organizational units in the Siemens Performance System
Gundolf S.
Last position:
Project Manager at Self-employed – Freelancer
- Project Manager steel works crane and material handling at ArcelorMittal in Eisenhüttenstadt for their decarburization project, December 2024 to March 2025
- Project Manager Cranes and Logistics for the new converter at Aurubis Hamburg via Hays AG, May to October 2024
- Specification for placing the orders and coordination of interfaces
- Erection of a powder production plant for an Indian customer in Bengaluru, 2024
- Leading the erection and assembly team of the customer Indo MIM
- Responsible for Health, Safety and Environment
- Technical and commercial project management at Belimed Life Science AG in Sulgen, Switzerland, with SAP, 2022
- Revamp of a slab rolling mill for copper for Siam Poongsan including engineering, construction and site and quality management, own order directly from the end customer, 2021 to 2023
- Site and quality management for a powder production plant (gas atomization system) in Penang, Malaysia, Oryx Advanced Materials, 2022
- Interim Head of Services at ALD Vacuum Technologies, Hanau/Bangkok, installation, service and construction management, 2019 to 2024
- Interim Head of Service Cold Rolling Mills and continuous casting at Danieli Thailand/Vietnam, 2016 to 2018
- Interim Manager Quality Assurance at SMS Concast for four months in 2018
Sven H.
Last position:
Director Recycling Technology / Authorized Representative at FormaTurf GmbH
- P&L shared responsibility
- Leading FormaTurf’s global strategy
- Responsible for all technical departments (R&D, production, engineering, HSE, quality)
Fabian S.
Last position:
ABB
- Handling of various components between feed conveyor, machine, discharge conveyor and, depending on the component, XZY palletizing and depalletizing with handling of intermediate layers
- Position recognition of parts using a robot-guided Sensopart camera communicating via PC interface with the robot
- Search runs during depalletizing for parts and pallet stack height
- Insertion of the part on two centering pins in the machine within a tolerance of <1.5 mm
- Complete 3D CAD simulation, offline programming, first configuration on site, full commissioning of the camera
- Profinet configuration to the PLC and gripper
- On-site commissioning at customer
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using Computer-Aided Design
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
15 years (Germany: 22 years)

Position duration
3.7 years (Germany: 5.8 years)

Positions per freelancer
8 (Germany: 11)

Top business areas
Production, Project Management, Operations

Top industries
Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Transportation

Certification focus areas
Operations, Information Technology, Legal
Bachelor's degree or higher
100% (Germany: 86%)
Master's degree or higher
75% (Germany: 50%)
Doctorate
25% (Germany: 9%)

Certifications per freelancer
1 (Germany: 3)

Most common languages
German, English, French

Speak two or more languages
100% (Germany: 96%)
Based on our profile pool as of 19 Sep 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology in Essen are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.
Average rates of experts in Essen using Computer-Aided Design
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 19 Sep 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Computer-Aided Design experts industry focus
See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.
- Manufacturing (100%)
- Food and Beverage (33%)
- Transportation (33%)
- Metals and Mining (33%)
- Professional Services (33%)
- Aerospace and Defense (17%)
- Agriculture (17%)
- Chemical (17%)
Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.
About the technology
CAD in practice
Computer-Aided Design, commonly called CAD, uses software to create precise technical drawings, 3D models and digital product documentation. It supports concept development, detail design, assembly planning and revisions across mechanical, industrial, construction and manufacturing projects. CAD files can also feed simulation, rendering, prototyping and production workflows.
Tools and formats
The ecosystem ranges from general-purpose tools such as AutoCAD and DraftSight to parametric systems such as SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX and Autodesk Inventor. Strong specialists understand sketches, constraints, assemblies, surface modelling, tolerances and drawing standards. They also work with formats such as DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES and STL, depending on the handover process.
Typical deliverables
- Parametric 3D parts, assemblies and configurable models
- 2D manufacturing drawings with dimensions, tolerances and annotations
- Product layouts, exploded views and installation documentation
- CAD conversions, model cleanup and design revisions
- Files prepared for simulation, CNC, 3D printing or visualization
When to bring in expertise
Companies often need freelance CAD expertise when internal capacity is limited, a product must move from concept to manufacture, or legacy drawings require conversion. Specialists can support a defined work package without changing the existing team structure. In Essen and the wider Ruhr region, this can suit industrial, manufacturing, energy and construction projects that need close coordination with local stakeholders or remote design teams.
What strong specialists know
The best professionals combine software fluency with an understanding of how parts are made, assembled and inspected. They ask about materials, production methods, interfaces, tolerances and revision control before modelling. They keep feature trees clear, use consistent naming and deliver files that another team can edit without guesswork.
Selecting the right professional
Look for a portfolio with work comparable in geometry, industry and required output rather than attractive images alone. Confirm the exact CAD version, native file formats, documentation standards and review process at the start. For remote collaboration, define screen-sharing, file exchange and approval routines; for on-site work in Essen, clarify workshop access, language expectations and coordination with production teams.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure where to start with Computer-Aided Design? These answers cover the essentials.
Computer-Aided Design is used to create and revise accurate 2D drawings and 3D models for products, machines, buildings, fixtures and components. It also supports assemblies, manufacturing documentation, visualisation, prototyping and data exchange with simulation or production systems.
CAD provides structured geometry, dimensions, constraints and revision control that manual drafting cannot manage as efficiently. Compared with visual-only 3D modelling, parametric CAD is usually better suited to production-ready parts, assemblies and drawings, while visual modelling may be preferable for presentation-focused work.
A strong Computer-Aided Design specialist often understands mechanical design principles, manufacturing methods, materials, tolerances and technical documentation. Depending on the project, useful adjacent skills include finite element analysis, rendering, product lifecycle management, CNC preparation and 3D printing.
The right level of CAD experience depends on the deliverable, geometry and production risk. Simple drawing updates may need focused tool knowledge, while a complex assembly or design-for-manufacture project calls for a professional who has handled comparable parts, revisions and handovers.
Yes, Computer-Aided Design work is often suitable for remote collaboration when requirements, file access and review stages are clearly defined. On-site coordination in Essen can still be valuable when the work involves physical prototypes, production visits, workshop measurements or frequent contact with manufacturing teams.
AutoCAD is a practical choice for precise 2D drafting, layouts and documentation, and it also supports broad design workflows. A specialist may recommend SolidWorks, CATIA, Siemens NX or another system when the project depends on advanced parametric parts, assemblies, complex surfaces or integrated manufacturing data.
Review comparable CAD samples and inspect more than the final image: ask how the model is structured, how revisions are managed and whether drawings contain usable manufacturing information. A quality professional explains assumptions, follows agreed standards and delivers clean native files alongside the required exports.
Before accepting a Computer-Aided Design assignment, clarify the target software version, native formats, input data, modelling standards, approval steps and final deliverables. Also confirm whether the work is remote or on-site, which language is used for documentation and how the design will connect to production, simulation or procurement.
The average hourly rate of freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects is 109 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 868 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects, 100% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 75% hold at least a Master's degree, and 25% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects have 15 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 3.7 years.
The most common languages among freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are German (100%), English (83%), and French (50%).
The most common industries among freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are Manufacturing (100%), Food and Beverage (33%), and Transportation (33%).
The most common business areas among freelancers in Essen, Germany who have used Computer-Aided Design in their recent projects are Production (83%), Project Management (83%), and Operations (67%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Computer-Aided Design
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Request a free demo
Get in touch with the FRATCH team and we will get back to you within 4 hours.
Would you rather directly get in touch?
We always have the time for a call or email!

Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Cologne
Frankfurt
Stuttgart
Dusseldorf
Dortmund