Ls 01b Cad Cam Systems

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CAD/CAM

Explored
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Scope of CAD/CAM.

CAD process is a subset of the design process

CAM process is a subset of the manufacturing process.

Engineers involved in the design process are usually


themselves the CAD designers who execute the CAD
process.

Similarly, manufacturing engineers execute the CAM


process.
At the core of the CAD and CAM processes is a
geometric model of the product under design.

Activities of the CAD process include


• mass properties
• finite element analysis,
• Dimensioning
• Tolerancing
• assembly modeling
• generating shaded images
• Documentation and drafting.
Activities of the CAM process include

• CAPP (computer aided process planning),


• NC (numerical control) programming
• design of injection molds
• CMM (coordinate measuring machines)
• Verifications
• Inspection
• assembly via robot
• packaging.
CAD/CAM Systems

It is a complex application that requires both hardware and software.

The hardware is a computer (either a PC or a workstation) with a mouse


and a keyboard.

The software is a computer program written in C or C++ as the primary


language.

Some other languages such as Scheme and Java are also used.

The software has a multilayered GUI (graphical user interface) that


provides users with menus and icons that enables them to perform
CAD/CAM activities from creating geometry to running analyses and
computations.
CAD-CAM SYSTEM IN CLIENT / SERVER
CONFIGURATION
SERVER

CLIENTS

Used in
Universities
Companies
Laboratories
CAD-CAM SYSTEM IN STANDALONE
CONFIGURATION

CAD-CAM System is installed on each computer which acts as Server


as well as Client
Present CAD/CAM systems
Four groups of CAD/CAM systems

Based on the market they serve and the tools, functionalities, and flexibility they
provide.

The four groups are low end, midrange, high end, and specialized.

The classification is only a guide; it carries with it the history of the evolution of
CAD/CAM systems.

Low-end systems
tend to target users who are not sophisticated and whose products are not complex; a
typical product consists of a small number of parts whose geometry is not complicated.

These users tend to focus on basic geometric modeling and drafting.

Examples include AUTOCAD, Autodesk Inventor, and CADKEY.


Midrange systems
These system target users who have complex modeling needs.

The number of parts per product is large enough for midrange


applications.

Unlike low-end systems, midrange systems support design and


manufacturing applications.

They either bundle them with the geometric modeling engine or work
with partners.

Examples include SolidWorks, Pro-E, and MasterCAM.


High-end systems

These are the legacy CAD/CAM systems that appeared in the


1970s and evolved over the years.

These systems support the modeling, analysis, and


manufacturing of complex products such as airplanes, cars,
and others.

Examples include Unigraphics, Parasolid, SDRC I-DEAS,


and CATIA.

Unigraphics, Parasolid, and I-DEAS are offered by EDS.

CATIA and SolidWorks are offered by Dassault Systems.


Specialized systems
These systems include ACIS (Spatial Corp.) and Parasolid (EDS).

Each provides a

• very robust and universal geometric modeling

and

• graphics kernel (software)

that companies can license to build fully functional CAD/CAM systems.


Selection of a CAD/CAM system
It is greatly influenced by the size and the complexity of the company
seeking a system.

The smaller the size of the company, the more specialized its
CAD/CAM needs and the less CAD/CAM power it needs.

For example, a small consulting agency tends to select an easy-to-use


system such as AutoCAD, CADKEY, SolidEdge, or SolidWorks.

A midsize company would select from a number of systems such as


SolidWorks, Pro/E, Unigraphics, I-DEAS, and CATIA, but often not
with the PDM (product data management) or other high-end software
modules.
Selection of a CAD/CAM system

Large companies tend to buy the same CAD/CAM systems as the midsize
entities, but they acquire most, if not all, of the high-end applications
including, PDM.

Large organizations can easily justify the up-front cost of these systems
because they have complex products that span many departments that
must share and modify product data concurrently.

This is where PDM becomes a crucial CAD/CAM software module to have.


Selection of a CAD/CAM system

The criteria of selection

• ease of using the system


• the quality of documentation
• software maintenance, support and service,
• geometric modeling capabilities
• design and manufacturing applications,
• Programming languages available for system customizing.
CAD/CAM system Operation / Maintenance

Once a CAD/CAM system is selected and acquired, it needs installation,


training, use, support, and maintenance.

A system administrator installs it.

Intended designers and users attend either in-house or vendor training


courses.

CAD/CAM managers develop policies, guidelines, and standards that


designers and engineers use daily to achieve their CAD/CAM tasks.

The system administrator is always in charge of maintaining the system,


backing it up, and updating it by installing new revisions that are
released by the vendors.

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