01-03-2013, 04:47 PM
Introduction to CAD/CAM
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INTRODUCTION
Throughout the history of our industrial society, many inventions have been patented and
whole new technologies have evolved. Perhaps the single development that has impacted
manufacturing more quickly and significantly than any previous technology is the digital computer.
Computers are being used increasingly for both design and detailing of engineering components
in the drawing office.
Computer-aided design(CAD) is defined as the application of computers and graphics
software to aid or enhance the product design from conceptualization to documentation. CAD
is most commonly associated with the use of an interactive computer graphics system, referred to
as a CAD system. Computer-aided design systems are powerful tools and in the mechanical
design and geometric modeling of products and components.
There are several good reasons for using a CAD system to support the engineering design
function:
· To increase the productivity
· To improve the quality of the design
· To uniform design standards
· To create a manufacturing data base
· To eliminate inaccuracies caused by hand-copying of drawings and inconsistency between
drawings
Computer-aided manufacturing(CAM) is defined as the effective use computer technology in
manufacturing planning and control. CAM is most closely associated with functions in
manufacturing engineering, such as process and production planning, machining, scheduling,
management, quality control, and numerical control(NC) part programming.
Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing are often combined
CAD/CAM systems.
This combination allows the transfer of information from the design into
the stage of planning for the manufacturing of a product, without the need to
reenter the data on part geometry manually. The database developed during CAD
is stored; then it is processed further, by CAM, into the necessary data and
instructions for operating and controlling production machinery, materialhandling
equipment, and automated testing and inspection for product quality.
CAD/CAM Hardware
The hardware part of a CAD/CAM system consists of the following components
⑴ one or mare design workstations, ⑵ digital computer, ⑶ plotters and other
output devices, and⑷ storage devices. The relationship among the component is
illustrated in Fig.10.1. In addition, the CAD/CAM system would have a
communicatio interface to permit transmission of data to and from other
computer systems, thus enabling some of the benefits of computer integration.
The workstation is the interface between computer and user in the CAD system.The design
of the CAD workstation and its available features have an important influence on the convenience,
productivity, and quality of the user´s output. The workstation must include a
digital computer with a high-speed control processing unit(CPU). It contains
require a and logic/arithmetic section for the system. The most widely used
secondary storage medium in CAD/CAM is the hard disk, floppy diskette, or a
combination of both.