Neutral CAD files are great, but remember the source of that neutral file.
The most common and ubiquitous file format used to communicate product design and manufacturing requirements is to generate a 2D pdf from the native CAD drawing. Consider that this communication method generates a digital file that is a neutral derivative of the 2D Native CAD drawing, which is a derivative of the 3D CAD model.
Derivative: Data duplicated or extracted from the original. A copy of a derivative is also a derivative. (ASME Y14.41 (R2012), 3.11)
A “neutral” 2D PDF drawing is actually a 2nd derivative of the Native CAD model.
Most likely your organization is already using some form of neutral files already, what makes it more interesting and data rich, is adding in the third dimension to your product definition.
