Trends in CAD/CAM that will shape the future

Modern Machine Shop, July, 1991 by Stewart D. Siebell

In a virtual reality system, the user is placed within the environment of the computer visualization. An architect can walk around inside a virtual building that is being designed. An NC programmer can "walk" along a tool path. A doctor can explore a patient's heart before surgery. In virtual reality, one can directly manipulate the simulation by grasping, moving, and changing elements of the simulation with a gloved hand. This may be the ultimate intuitive user interface.

Product Data Management

Many organizations using CAD/CAM now have thousands of files representing drawings, engineering analysis results, and other information related to product definition. Managing these collections has become a problem. Product Data Management (PDM) software is emerging as a solution.

A PDM system collects, organizes, files, accesses, and controls any type of data about a company's products. Typical information managed by a PDM system includes specifications, drawings, geometric models, models produced by finite element analysis, process plans, NC programs, and so on. Although product definition data could be in hard copy form, it is generally in digital files.

PDM software is provided by CAD/CAM vendors and independent suppliers. Good capability is now available in homogeneous environments and, in the 1990s, management of files in distributed, heterogeneous environments will be commonplace. PDM systems will soon become more closely integrated with both CAD/CAM and standard management information systems.

A related technology is image management systems. In image management systems, paper documents, such as drawings, are scanned into electronic form. The documents can then be indexed, manipulated, accessed within a network, and managed as in a PDM system.

Maturity

The CAD/CAM industry has become a multibillion dollar industry. In the 1990s, it will become relatively mature. Industry growth rates, although substantial by most standards, will ease. Acquisitions, mergers, and alliances will accelerate. The trends noted, for the most part, are evolutionary and not revolutionary. Yet CAD/CAM in general, and automated manufacturing in particular, will remain an exciting field.

New technologies will continue to emerge, and for the most part, will be introduced by niche companies. User organizations will become more sophisticated and hence, more inclined to implement the best product for the task at hand.

World class manufacturing demands the appropriate utilization of advanced technology. It is essential for those firms striving to remain competitive in a worldwide marketplace.

PHOTO : Fig. 1--Simultaneous engineering will be greatly facilitated by access to shared databases that capture the expertise of those who make decisions about marketing and manufacturing.

PHOTO : Fig. 2--Access to all relevant computing resources will be a cornerstone of systems architecture in the 1990s. Acceptance of industry standards makes this possible.

PHOTO : Fig. 3--CAD/CAM systems will give users powerful new tools for creating geometry, not only in the abstract on a computer screen but also in physical reality. The computer image on the left was transformed into its 3D counterpart by a rapid prototyping technique called fused deposition modeling, which was developed by Stratasys, Inc.