Design and Manufacturing Computers are powerful technological resources, and their invention has made a significant difference in the variety of activities a person can perform, from very simple tasks to complex ones. Additionally, using a computer improves the quality of the work. Manufacturing is a transformation process that combines labor, machinery, special tools, and energy to convert raw materials into finished products with market value. The software for design, manufacturing, and parts management is grouped into the following types: CAD (Computer-Aided Design): Computer-assisted design. CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing): Computer-assisted manufacturing. CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing): Computer-integrated manufacturing. CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering): Computer-assisted engineering. These programs stand out for their contribution to the development of new products. They are designed to support the stages following the conceptualization of the product, performing functions such as defining the geometry and dimensions of the part, designing assemblies, preparing material lists, and analyzing stresses and deformations of the elements. The set of these processes is known as the detailed design of the software. 4.1. CAD Computer-aided design, known as CAD, is the use of computers to help create, modify, analyze, or optimize designs. CAD software is used to enhance the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of the design, optimize the communication of documents, and create databases for manufacturing. The output of CAD is usually in the form of electronic files for printing, machining, and other manufacturing operations. It is also known as CADD (ComputerAided Design and Drafting). A Frenchman, Pierre Bézier, an engineer from Arts et Métiers ParisTech, developed the fundamental principles of CAD with his UNISURF program in 1966. CAD software can basically be divided into two programs, one for 2D drawing and another for creating 3D models. 2D drawing tools are based on geometric entities such as points, lines, arcs, and polygons, which can be manipulated through a graphical interface. The 3D modeler adds surfaces and solids. Users can associate each entity with various properties, such as color, layer, line type, name, geometry definition, material, etc., allowing the information to be processed logically. Types of CAD Designs: Building Design: Used in architecture, construction, and engineering. Infrastructure Design: For creating 3D models for land development, transportation, utilities projects, etc. Manufacturing Design: Used to machine, 3D print, and manufacture parts faster and with higher quality. Product Design: Used to create consumer products, industrial machinery, and construction equipment. Among the most commonly used are 3D modelers to get a realistic preview of the product, although sometimes it is preferable to export the models to specialized visualization and animation programs, such as the following: SolidWorks: CAD software for 2D and 3D mechanical modeling, developed by SolidWorks Corp. It allows modeling parts and assemblies, as well as extracting technical drawings and other necessary production information. Rhinoceros 3D: A 3D modeling software tool based on NURBS. It started as an extra for Autodesk's AutoCAD. Autodesk Inventor: A 3D parametric solid modeling package from software company Autodesk. Autodesk Maya: A computer graphics software for 3D development, special effects, animation, and drawing. Bentley Microstation: A CAD program developed by Bentley Systems. Softimage XSI: A 3D computer graphics software. Cinema 4D: A software for creating 3D graphics and animation. Lastly, for a free and open-source alternative, Blender is used for modeling, animation, and video game creation. Rendering Software: V-Ray: A rendering engine used as an extension for computational graphics applications. Maxwell Render: An unbiased 3D rendering engine developed by Next Limit Technologies in Madrid. This software is used in the film, animation, and visual effects industries, as well as for product and architectural design visualization. Lumion: Visualization software for professional architecture. It fits into workflow routines and allows 3D CAD designs to be quickly converted into videos, images, and 360° online presentations. Flamingo: A program developed for Rhino. It allows for the creation of sophisticated images and animations from an easy-to-use structure. With it, panoramic animations, interactive images, and sunlight lighting can be produced. TASK Explain what each of these software tools is used for and how they differ: CAD (Computer-Aided Design): Computer-assisted design. CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing): Computer-assisted manufacturing. CIM (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing): Computer-integrated manufacturing. CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering): Computer-assisted engineering.
