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>> Computer - Aided Design - A History
Computer - Aided Design - A History
American Ivan Sutherland invented CAD in 1961 when he
described a computerized sketchpad in a doctoral thesis while attending
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
He designed CAD to replace the traditional drafting board and other tools
drafters used, such as the ink pen, plastic stencil, and electric eraser.
Early CAD software ran on large, expensive computers. Today, engineers
can run CAD software on personal computers or UNIX workstations.
Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM)
Engineers use CAD to create two- and three-dimensional drawings, such
as those for automobile and airplane parts, floor plans, and maps. While
it may be faster for an engineer to create an initial drawing by hand,
it is much more efficient to change and distribute drawings by computer.
In the design stage, drafting and computer graphics techniques
are combined to produce models of objects. Designers manipulate and test
these models on video display screens until they incorporate the best
balance of features, including ease of production and cost. The CAD information
is then combined with CAM procedures through shared databases. Today,
it is possible to perform the six-step "art-to-part" process with a computer.
The first two steps in this process are the use of sketching software
to capture the initial design ideas and to produce accurate engineering
drawings. The third step is rendering an accurate image of what the part
will look like. Next, engineers use analysis software to ensure that the
part is strong enough. Step five is the production of a prototype, or
model. In the final step the CAM software controls the machine that produces
the part.
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