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Lesson 4-9: Emerging Technological Trends

Page history last edited by Ms. R. Singh 13 years, 4 months ago

COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD)/COMPUTER –AIDED DESIGN & DRAFTING (CADD)

  

Defn: A computer-aided design (CAD) system uses computer hardware and software in the drawing of engineering or architectural designs.

 

A CAD package is designed to make easier to produce detailed plans and accurate technical drawings.  It contains software that provides a set of basic elements such as points, lines, circles, shapes, solids etc., from which all CAD drawings are constructed.

CAD programs can produce 3-dimensional drawings that can be rotated and viewed from many different angles with the push of a button.  In addition, the computer keeps track of design dependencies, so that when a value is changed all other dependent values are automatically changed.

 

 

Hardware Requirements for CAD:

1. High resolution graphics monitor to show details.

2. Mouse, light pen, digitising tablet for drawing.

3. Special printer or plotter for printing design specifications.

 

Advantages of CAD:

1. Designs can be done faster, hence reducing cost

2. Changes to the original design can be easily made

3. Duplicates can be easily made

4. Documentation is generated with the design

 

 

COMPUTER-AIDED MANUFACTURING (CAM)

Defn: Computer-aided manufacturing refers to the use of a computer to control manufacturing plant and equipment in a production system.

CAM is used in applications where precision and accuracy are important, including processes such as welding, paint spraying, cutting and polishing.  CAM software generates instructions for the computerised control of machines.

 

Advantages of CAM:

1. Faster production of parts and products

2. Production of a more consistent product

3. The ability to better control and maintain the quality of a product.

 

 

CAD/CAM SYSTEMS

These systems are used in the design and manufacturing of products.  Engineers use the system to create the product designs and then to control the manufacturing process.

Two (2) CAD/CAM software packages currently available are: SolidWorks and MasterCAD.  They can create drawings and model trajectories (develop and work out the movements) of cutting tools. 

  

  

COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING (CAE)

These are computer systems that analyze engineering designs. Most CAD systems have a CAE component, but there are also independent CAE systems that can analyze designs produced by various CAD systems. CAE systems are able to simulate a design under a variety of conditions to see if it actually works. For example, an aeroplane manufacturer might be able to simulate the forces of a hurricane wind on a plane wing using a CAE computer.

 

 

EXPERT SYSTEMS

  

Defn: An expert system or knowledge-based system is a program that analyses input data and provides answers at the level of an expert in a particular field.

 

An expert system is useful in providing support for making decisions and can also suggest alternatives or other issues to be considered.  It consists of two parts:

a. Knowledge Base – this contains a large volume of information in a particular field, for example, the different types of diseases, symptoms and possible treatments.

b. Inference Engine – this analyses the input data using ‘reasoning’ methods and the knowledge base arrives at a conclusion.  It also provides the user with an explanation of how it arrived at its conclusion by showing the concepts that were used.

 

 

ROBOTICS

Robots are computer-controlled machines that include functions such as locomotion, mobility, grasping and recognition.

Robots are mainly used in the manufacturing industry:

  • Automotive industry
  • Electrical and Electronic industry

  

 

Advantages of using Robots:

1. Excellent at performing repetitive tasks that require high precision and accuracy without fatigue or boredom.

2. They can perform more work with fewer errors

3. They don’t get sick, complain or take strike action

4. Robots are used in extreme environments where it might be difficult or impossible for humans to operate, e.g.: coal mining, deactivating bombs, painting bridges, cleaning up hazardous waste, searching for and recovering plane and ship wreckage etc.                                                                             

 

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