Computer Aided Design

 

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is a form of design in which people work with computers to create ideas, models, and prototypes. CAD has been developed to guide people with technical drawing and drafting. Drafting and technical drawing can be very painstaking, and they require some special skills. Using CAD for drafting still requires many of the same skills, but by working with a computer instead of on paper, people can be much more efficient. Process planning translates design information into the t he process steps and instructions i nstructions to efficiently and effectively manufacture products. As the design process is supported by many computer-aided tools, computer-aided process planning (CAPP) has evolved to simplify and improve process planning and achieve more effective use of manufacturing resources. Computer Aided Design (CAD) involves the use of computer hardware and graphics software to generate design drawings. Modern CAD equipment enables the designer  to quickly produce pr oduce very accurate accur ate and realistic rea listic images of products pr oducts to be manufactured. Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is a system of automatically producing finished products by using computer controlled production machines. CAD and CAM work together in that the t he digital model generated in CAD is inputted to the CAM software package. The CAM software needs to know the physical shape of the product (CAD model) before it can compose a proper set of fabrication instructions to a production machine. Since the first generation of Numerically Controlled (NC) machine tools was developed in the 1950s, there have been many developments which whic h make today's NC machines completely unrecognizable from their early founders. Today a new standard, informally known as STEP-NC, is being used as the basis for development of the next generation of Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) controller. This new standard is ISO 14649 and ISO 10303 AP 238. This standard gives CAM and CNC the opportunity to integrate the capabilities of CAD/CAM systems with a new intelligent CNC controllers, which have two directional communication of  information representing standardized geometric and manufacturing data.

 

A frequently overlooked step in the integration of CAD/CAM is the process planning that must occur. CAD systems generate graphically oriented data and may go so far  as graphically identifying such as metal to be removed during processing. In order to produce such things as NC instructions for CAM equipment, basic decisions regarding equipment to be used, tooling and operation sequence need to be made. This is the function of CAPP. Without some element of CAPP, there would not be such a thing as CAD/CAM integration. Furthermore CAD/CAM systems that generate tool paths and NC programs include limited CAPP capabilities are certain approach to processing. CAD systems also provide graphically-oriented data to CAPP systems to use to produce assembly drawings, and more. Further, this graphically-oriented data can then be provided to manufacturing in the form of  hardcopy drawings or work instruction displays. This type of system uses work  instruction displays at factory workstations to display process plans graphically and guide employees through assembly step by step. The assembly is shown on the screen and as a employee steps through the assembly process with a footswitch, the components to be inserted or assembled are shown on the CRT graphically along with text instructions and warnings for each step. If NC machining processes are involved, CAPP software exists which will select tools, feeds, and speeds, and prepare NC programs. So this CAD, CAPP, and CAD/CAM are related and connected with CNC such as end-to-end component design is highly automated using CAD/CAM programs. CNC aslo help to produce complex series of steps to produce any part in highly automated and produces a part that closely matches the original CAD design. In the CNC class I had been learning the development of the element of Computeraided technologies.  From my view, it¶s describing the use of computer technology to aid in the design, analysis, and manufacture of products. CAD, CAPP, and CAD/CAM are some of the element and advanced   tools in Computer-aided technology   merge many different aspects of the product lifecycle management (PLM),

including

design,

analysis

using

finite

element

analysis

(FEA),

manufacturing, production planning (CAPP), product product testing using virtual lab models and visualization, product documentation, product support, and much more.