Computer Aided Design Analysis - Essay Example

INTRODUCTION The term CAD means Computer-Aided Design and CAM refers to Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM). CAD software is used for drawing tools basically to explain the geometries which are used by the manufacturing portion, i.e. the CAM part of the program. It explains the path that helps directing the motion of a machine tool, to the machine in the exact shape drawn. The History First came the Numerically-Controlled Machines. Initially, the tools used in the manufacturing were controlled by numbers and letters so as to full-fill the requirements for the manufacturing of complex shapes, in an accurate form which can also be repeatable. It was in the 1950's that the Numerically-Controlled machines were based upon the technology of paper tapes which had proper spaced holes punched into the papers. it is similar to the paper roll which makes piano works having only an inch width which is used to feed the numbers into controller machines. These are wired to join the motors positioning work over the machine tools. These controllers are electro mechanical that allows easy incorporation of the digital technologies in their original form. During the period of late 1960's these Numerically-Controlled machining centers were very easily available for the commercial incorporation of a variety of machining processes, and also enabling the automatic tool changing process. So these tools were capable of performing any work on the many faces of any kind of work further enabling the movement of the work piece to the specified positions which were previously programmed. This programming was done making use of a variety of automatic tools. Thus making it possible to do the same piece of work over and over, automatically with perfection and very little human input. The NC was immediately automated giving a newer level of manufacturing. The incorporation of feedback loops was also done. The development of APT was a breakthrough in the success of the NC technology which is a universal NC programming language. The Automatically Programmed Tools developed in1962, enables the programmers to develop the postprocessors, tailored to each type of NC tool. This helped in the output sharing between different units having different manufacturing capabilities. CAD and CAM Together now: CAD basically uses the software known as TTUA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD/CAM). It assists engineers, architects, designers in their activities. This geometrical tool in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) also involves a special hardware. These tools are used and incorporated in almost every sector like manufacturing, designing, planning etc using the tools CIM, CAPP, FMS, and JIT etc. The development of Computer-aided design had its effect on the NC technology due to the differences in the formats of various files which were used initially by the drawing and manufacturing programs. " in the CAD world, we take a pencil out of the hand of the operator and place it into the hand of the computer" (Jan Bone,1994). With the newer and variety of CAD applications like Solid Works and Auto Cad and CAM applications like Master Cam, both designing and manufacturing sectors now use these variety of CAD/CAM software. Most of the CAD/CAM software are used more by architects these days, along with product designing and manufacturing. Future trends in CAD/CAM: Though the current CAD/CAM applications are much user friendly and satisfactory, and people do not think there is nay need for advances in the same, but the coming decade will have many advances in techniques and implementation of CAD/CAM, for the creation and manipulation of the work piece geometry. The standards for its applications will give more flexibility to its users in the interfaces, data transfer, computer designing and architecture etc. thus it can be said that these future developments will have a solid impact on both, the numerical control system and the manufacturing applications. By anticipating the basic questions like what is the direction of NC and CAD/CAM What are the current trends which affect the direction of these key manufacturing technologies etc, we can have a sigh into the future. For years, manufacturing companies in the United States have been criticized for a lack of long-range planning. The increasing pressures for meeting the short-term goals lead to the situation of lack of long term planning. But the long-range planning is always accompanied with a certain degree of uncertainty as the changes in technology are so fast, which makes it more difficult to predict what technique systems and processes will lead or become obsolete. The foreword planning in CAD/CAM includes its integration with other systems, system expansion and defining a career path for CAD/CAM specialists ( John Stark). 1. Capturing and Sharing of Knowledge: The individuals' knowledge within a company is a major corporate asset. During the period of the 90s, the CAD/CAM systems used to provide the tools which could capture all this knowledge electronically, for its application in the designing and manufacturing of different components. Today, the CAD/CAM technology is basically related with the dimensional characteristics of any component, along with the other equally important properties like material'cost, manufacturing ability, inspection, assembly fitiings, tolerance level which again impact the design. Today, the CAD/CAM systems are put to use for capturing and applicatio of such knowledge rather to keep it locked in the minds of a few individuals at each company. This can be achieved by coupling with dedicated knowledge-based systems and the CAD/CAM functionality tools. Thus in future, the knowledge-based engineering systems will definitely be a very important component of the CAD/CAM system. The addition of newer tools will go a long way for recording the expertise, information and thought processes which will form a base to decision making. Thus these captured records will be readily available to the designers' decisions for the upcoming projects. This will lead to a total automation of the designing and manufacturing processes. 2. Simultaneous Engineering Process: Sharing of information is a major issue where in the use of latest techniques and methods is important and has a huge impact too for example: simultaneous engineering. It is also known as concurrent engineering which is basically a process where in the production and the designing of the product is achieved simultaneously. Here the design and the manufacturing engineering functions together during the design phase so as to incorporate the downstream manufacturing considerations into the designing of the product.( Stewart D Siebell,1991). The implementation of simultaneous engineering proves beneficial as have there are rare design changes, the lead time is shorter, and there is lower cost advantage along with a better quality. This concept is applicable outside both within and outside a company in the whole supply chain. This will lead to better understanding of the problems faced by the supplier or his design specifications can be accommodated ultimately leading to better and improved process results. This will also help the different companies to work together with better understanding with the help of CAD/CAM. 3. The Industry Standards During the 1970's, 80's, the mainframe computer systems and the mini based systems were very common. They involved the proprietary architecture and the operating systems. This proprietary architectEarly workstation systems also employed proprietary architecture was another reason for the automation of processes. Than in the 90's, the need of the architectures was of the industry standard. For example the programming language C for the develpoement of CAD/CAM, Then the evolution of C++. The basic aim behind all this is that a single code development with the function of multiple usages. Thus the future is based on the principle of object orientation i.e. focusing upon the object and its characteristics, and the product can be further divided into its parts as a set of geometrical functions and figures like lines or arcs etc. this will lead to further simplification of the programming process with the help of CAD/CAM. Some of the industry accepted standards today are: IGES- initial graphic exchange specification, PDES-product data exchange specification etc. all of these have different functions like facilitation of information exchange and exchange of full product data and models respectively. 4. Transparency in the Area of Computing: With the implementation CAD/CAM along with the adoption of industry standards, the transparency in the working environment can be made easy and possible. It will function as a single integrated unit and all the computers will be interconnected having access to same database and information to ensure transparency and efficiency. Thus all the users can access all the relevant informational resources in a similar environment. Apart from this, in the future with the help of CAD/CAM, the normal personal computers and the other work-stations, can all be integrated into different or single work group which will be helpful in sharing the a common server to common printer, scanner , files etc. Further, integration of much higher level will be made possible by connecting the pc's , super computers, work stations, the CPU's along with the supportive equipments like the printer and all. Thus this integration can revolutionize the programming and application system as the users of different work-groups having different needs and specifications can put in the concept of mix and match, using a different program for a different application, for a different design and using the different supporting equipments, all integrated altogether. 5. Geometric Enhancement: There will be enhancements in the geometric creativity. This will include the product geometry based on its features, variations, different parameters and functions, which will help in fulfilling the needs of all architectural applications. It will also have the concept of the sub system geometry, which will have an all user and all applications utility. Geometry subsystems are now being independently developed and marketed in the same manner as database management, graphics, and data communication systems. They will provide a geometry toolkit to be utilized by all applications. Further advancements in the CAD/CAM geometry will include the different representations of architectural designs inter-mingled within the same solid/product. The solid representation of models will define a product in its best possible form including the representation of its core features, functions and applications, and a more appropriate computation of the same. A yet higher design in this will be feature-based modeling. It will be capable of recognizing the designer's and engineer's thinking , defining it in the terms of blind holes, slots, shafts, ribs, rounds etc, instead of the old method of defining it in the terms of lines, circles, arcs, or in Boolean description of solid objects such as boxes, cylinders, or cones. This will lead to directly creation of the model based on its form and features will go a long way in saving time and increasing productivity at the same time. This also leads to the feature of associativity. Here, relationships will be developed between different dimensions and designing models in a way which will change the model or its dimensions, resulting an automation process of updating the other model or its dimensions respectively. This will also help in the manipulation or changing a part in any model and corresponding change can be obtained in the whole assembly production also. The CAD application in the future will be useful in another ares known as the inference system, where by the next inference can be easily be drawn by any operator or anyone using the system. That means in a designing of model, the next required shape or change can be obtained automatically like an arc or line or whatever. If not appropriate it can be replaced as many times as the requirement. Thus the productivity will be further increased and the automation can be taken to another high level. The development of relationship will also be made possible not only between the design and dimensions of models but also between its various parameters. From creational geometry there will be shift to variational geometry, allowing the changes or variations automatically, thus giving the whole system more flexibility and independence. The basic concept is making of prototype model before the mass production and than implementing any required change or specifications using the variational geometry. According to Peter Smid, one of the main reason behind the successful integration of CAD/CAM is to avoid duplication, that is to never do anything twice (Peter Smid , 2003). 6. Changes In User Interfaces The user interface area will face may advances with the CAD/CAM tools. The computer will not be a system only but it will be changed to a machine capable of reading the user's mind. For example the graphical user interface or proprietors graphical user interface. This helps in the pseudo standard solutions for UNIX based systems. As discussed above, the GUI's based upon the upcoming industry standards will revolutionize this whole process and the make machine the extension of human mind at large(Stewart D Siebell, 1991). The coming innovations in the future of CAD/CAM applications will include virtual reality, higher animation designing and its combination with conventional data, leading to a better information processing. Like in case of designing and architecture, the user will be virtually placed in the required environment or even a doctor can go inside the patient's heart to locate any problem or so. 7. Product Data Management the management of thousands of drawings, engineering and analysis results, and other related files is a chorus task which is made easier and possible by the application of CAD/CAM, as this product data management software helps in the collection, processing, analyzing of the product related data in the form of drawings, geometric models, process plans, NC programs etc in the digital files. And the other documents can me managed, analyzed, used and maintained by image management system using the CAD. CONCLUSION The CAD/CAM today is a multibillion dollar industry. The maturity level is bound to increase with a revolutionizing technological growth and automation. "in looking out to the next 15-20 years, it is quite apparent that automation technology will have greatest influence on industries ability to compete internationally. To make sure this forecast comes true, we must continue to make advances in CAD/CAM and artificial intelligence" ( Peter C.C.Wang,1994). The growth rates of industry is very high, the industry standards will grow alongside. The CAD/CAM will have its further implications and implementation in the field of growing international business in the global world as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, contracting, strategic alliances are on acceleration and it has a requirement of CAD/CAM. There will be more evolutions and the most interesting area will be higher level of designing, creativity, production, variation all coupled with automation and faster decision making by faster information processing. Since it has become a borderless world today, so the needs and demands are also world class, thus to suit the needs of the future, the CAD/CAM will become more sophisticated in the future along with the main task of doing this in the best possible user friendly manner. It would not merely remain a programming software but rather will make every process and application interactive, making it possible for the first time users/ visitors not only use the technology at once, but interact with the same, as the technology will be extended version of the human mind itself. The evolution and introduction of new technologies will continue and mostly by Niche Company sector and undoubtedly the level of sophistication will increase for the user organizations. Thus, this makes it possible to implement the best results for any kind of task. REFERENCES 1. Bone Jan, 1994, Future of CAD/CAM, Mc Graw Hill Professional, pg 14,ISBN 0844240842. 2. CAD/CAM, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD/CAM. 3. Smid Peter, 2003, CNC Programming Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Practical CNC Programming, Industrial Press Inc, pg 33, ISBN 0831131586. 4. Stark John, 1986, what every engineer should know about practical CAD/CAM applications, CRC Press, pg 105,ISBN 0824775937. 5. Steward D.S, 1991, Trends In CAD/CAM that will shape the future-Emphasis: Numerical Control and CAM-Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing, pg1-5, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3101/is_n2_v64/ai_1095795. 6. Wang C.C.P, 1984, Advances in CAD/CAM Case Studies, Springer, pg 77, ISBN 0898381576. Read More