COURSE INTRODUCTION

What is Computer Aided Design?

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CAD also known as Computer Aided Drafting.

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The software is used to create and design
models of these types and test them.
 Origins of CAD
•
The first source of CAD resulted from attempts to automate
the drafting process.
•
These developments were pioneered by the General
Motors Research Laboratories in the early 1960s.
•
CAD became more widely used after 1970 because of
technological advancements.
•
CAD allowed users to design products much quicker
without the production of an actual product.
• Beginning in the 1980s Computer-Aided Design programs
reduced the need of draftsmen significantly.
• Their affordability and ability to run on personal computers
also allowed engineers to do their own drafting work.
 Uses of CAD
CAD is used to design a variety of different
products for a variety of fields such as
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Architecture
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Electronics
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Automotive engineering
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Industrial Design
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Machinery
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Visual Art
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Medical Design
Computer aided architecture design
(CAAD)
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CAD can be used to design a 3D visual representative
of a structure such as a bridge, highway, drainage
systems or buildings such as houses, high rise flats.

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The software allows the user to design a 2D
representation of the blue prints. Also they can create a
3D view of the finished design of the structure.

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When incorporated with an expert system it can work
out the strain points of the building/structure.
 Designs of CAAD

Circuit
board layout

House Blue
Print
 Electronic design automation
(ECAD)
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CAD can also be used to design electronic systems
such as printed circuit boards and integrated
circuits.

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As well as designing the layout of a circuit the user
can also list logic gates for the circuit.

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These designs can be used for hundreds of
electronic products and machinery.
 Conclusion
 CAD is important in the design and safety of
constructions

 There are many different types of CAD software to

choose from to meet specific needs

It has spread into many other fields of jobs more

recently such as medicine and electronics

 CAD is overall a cheaper tool than taking on a larger

workforce to complete drawing tasks
CAD PROCESS
 Mechanical Engineering Application of CAD
Two Dimensional Drafting: This is the most common use of a CAD
package. 2-D drawings are used for manufacturing a product.
Report Generating: To generate reports and bill of materials.
Spreadsheets and word-processors can be linked to provide a
report writing facility.
3-D Modeling: To create the wireframe, surface and solid models.
The 3-D models are for concept verification, manufacturing, FEA,
etc.
Finite Element Analysis: FEA package is used for pre-processing,
analysis, and post-analysis of structures. For this application, a
CAD package contains both the modeling and analysis modules.
Manufacturing: manufacturing software is usually called CAM, and
contains CAD software as one of the components. CAM software
provides capabilities of carrying out 2 and 3-axes machining.