(MFG Engg HDBK, CHP 9) : 9.1.1 What Is CAD?

INTRODUCTION [Mfg Engg HDBK, Chp 9]
The need for illustrating, visualizing, and documenting mechanical designs prior to production has
existed ever since human beings began creating machines, mechanisms, and products. Over the last
century, methods for achieving this function have evolved dramatically from the blackboard illustrations
of the early twentieth century and from manual drafting systems that were commonplace 50 years
ago to today’s automated 3D solid modeling software. As computer technology has advanced, so have
the tools designers and product engineers use to create and illustrate design concepts. Today, powerful
computer hardware and software have supplanted the drafting tables and T-squares of the 1960s and
have advanced to the point of playing a pivotal role in not only improving design visualization but also
in driving the entire manufacturing process.
9.1.1 What Is CAD?

The advances made over the last 30 years in the use of computers for mechanical design have
occurred at a more rapid pace than all the progress in design visualization that preceded the advent
of computer technology. When computer hardware and software systems first appeared, the acronym
CAD actually represented the term computer-aided drafting. That’s because the early 2D computer
design packages merely automated the manual drafting process. The first 2D CAD packages enabled
designers/drafters to produce design drawings and manufacturing documentation more efficiently
than the manual drafting of the past. The introduction of 2D drafting packages represented the first
widespread migration of engineers to new design tools, and manufacturers readily embraced this
technology because of the productivity gains it offered.
The next stage in the evolution of design tools was the move from 2D to 3D design systems
(Fig. 9.1). Beginning in the 1990s, this represented the second large migration of engineers to a new
design paradigm and the watershed that shifted the meaning of the acronym CAD from “computeraided
drafting” to “computer-aided design.” That’s because 3D solid modeling removed the emphasis
from using computer technology to document or capture a design concept and gave engineers a
tool that truly helped them create more innovative designs and manufacture higher quality products. Instead of having the
production of an engineering drawing as the final goal, engineers employ the
enhanced design visualization and manipulation capabilities of 3D CAD systems to refine designs,
improve products, and create 3D design data, which can be leveraged throughout the product development
process.
Yet, not all 3D solid modelers are the same, and since the introduction of 3D CAD systems two
decades ago, many advances have been made. The early 3D systems were slow, expensive, based on
proprietary hardware, and difficult to use because they frequently required the memorization of manual
commands. The introduction of affordable, yet powerful computers and the Windows operating
environment gave 3D CAD developers the foundation they needed to create the fast, affordable, and
easy-to-use 3D solid modelers of today.
Advances in 3D CAD technology enable the following benefits:

Parametric Design. All features and dimensions are driven off design parameters. When an engineer
wants to change the design, he or she simply changes the value of the parameter, and the geometry
updates accordingly.
Bidirectional Associativity Means Quick Design Changes. All elements of a solid model (part
models, assembly models, detail drawings) are associated in both directions. When a change is made
to any of these documents, the change automatically propagates to all associated files.
Intelligent Geometry for Downstream Applications. 3D CAD data support other design and manufacturing
functions, such as machining, prototyping, analysis, assembly management, and documentation,
without the need to convert or translate files.
Large Assembly Capabilities. 3D CAD technology has the ability to design assemblies and subassemblies,
some of which can involve thousands of parts, as well as individual components. When
a product design requires large, complex assemblies involving thousands of moving parts, 2D design
techniques become labor-intensive and time-consuming. Managing the numerous production-level
drawings alone can be tedious. With 3D solid modeling software, managing the accuracy and completeness
of assembly production drawings becomes a less costly and more manageable process.
Configurations of Derivative Products. Using design tables, engineers can create varied configurations
of products, assemblies, or product families, with varying sizes, dimensions, weights, and
capacities from a single solid model, leveraging existing designs and simplifying the development of
new product models.
Manufacturing Automation and Technologies June, 20
Page 2 of 2
Design Stylization. As more and more products compete on the basis of aesthetics and ergonomics,
the need to easily create free-form, organic, and stylized shapes is becoming increasingly important.
State-of-the-art CAD systems have the capability of creating complex models, surfaces, and
shapes, including curves, blends, fillets, and other unique design features.
Automatic Creation of Drawings. 3D solid modelers can automatically output engineering drawings
comprising various views, such as isometric, exploded assembly, detail, and section views, from
the base solid model without the need to draw them manually. The dimensions used to create the
model can be used to annotate the drawing.
Communicates Design Intent. CAD data is basically a geometrical representation of an engineer’s
imagination, capturing the engineer’s creativity and design intent. With 2D drawings, engineers and
manufacturing personnel have to interpret or visualize a flat 2D drawing as a 3D part or assembly.
At times, interpreting 2D drawings results in a loss or misinterpretation of the engineer’s original
design intent, leading to delays and rework. With 3D solid modeling software, design intent is maintained
and effectively communicated through the actual 3D representation of the part or assembly,
leaving little possibility for misinterpretation.
Assesses Fit and Tolerance Problems. Engineers who design assemblies and subassemblies cannot
assess fit and tolerance problems effectively in 2D. Using a 2D layout drawing that shows product
components, subassembly interfaces, and working envelopes, engineers cannot fully visualize
the 3D fit, interface, and function of assembly components. Often, this results in fit and tolerance
problems that go undetected until late in the design cycle, when they become more costly and timeconsuming
to correct. With 3D solid modeling software, an engineer can assess and address fit and
tolerance problems during the initial stage of design.
Minimizes Reliance on Physical Prototyping. Traditionally, physical prototyping is nearly a prerequisite
in new product development to detect parts that collide or interfere with one another and
ensure that all components have adequate clearances. With 3D solid modeling software, the same
objectives can be accomplished on the computer, saving both time and prototype development costs.
It is not uncommon for teams that transition from 2D to solids-based design to cut multiple prototype
iterations from their typical product development cycles.
Eliminates Lengthy Error Checking. With 2D, most assembly designs require a lengthy, laborintensive
error check of drawings, which itself is prone to error. Checkers spend countless hours
checking fit and tolerance dimensions between drawings. This process becomes more complicated
when drafters use different dimensioning parameters for parts from the same assembly. The errorchecking
process takes even more time when redlined drawings are sent back to the designer for corrections
and then returned to the checker for final approval. With 3D solid modeling software, there
is no need to check drawings because the designer addresses fit and tolerance problems in the model
as part of assembly design.
Today’s 3D CAD systems are the culmination of more than 30 years of research and development
and have demonstrated and proven their value in actual manufacturing environments for more than
a decade. 3D systems are much better than their predecessors in capturing and communicating the
engineer’s original design intent and automating engineering tasks, creating a sound platform on
which the entire manufacturing process is based.

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INTRODUCTION [Mfg Engg HDBK, Chp 9]

9.1.1 What Is CAD?

Advances in 3D CAD technology enable the following benefits:

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