The progress of the engineering industry from time immemorial can be broken down into three stages which are the :
The physical stage- were designs and manufacturing were done manually by hand, which dates back to the eras far before Christ
·
The mechanical phase- designs and manufacturing
processes were implemented with the use of machines or machine components and
this dates back to civilization in Egypt as well as Rome
·
The Computer Age- were designs, manufacturing,
drafting and the coupling of mechanical/engineering components could be done
with the use of robots and computers, programmed with software applications
that could accomplish highly advanced tasks.
The computer age came early in the 19th century
when engineers had started creating new equipments to help simplify all
engineering tasks from structural to mechanical engineering and systems to
electrical engineering. In all these engineering fields, a certain process was
found to cut across all disciplines and this process was drafting because the
electrical, mechanical, structural, civil, chemical and systems engineer needed
to first draw any design plans or components before implementing or
manufacturing them which led to the advent of computer aided design software
applications.
How has CAD changed
the Industry?
The creation of computer aided drafting
applications has been hailed as one of the great engineering inventions of our
time due to its wide spread use by engineers of all discipline because of the
following reasons
Cost- the tried and tested traditional methods of drafting
engineering designs and ideas by hand has come to be an expensive venture due
to the fact that the engineer will need to purchase numerous equipment such as
drafting paper—which had to be changed when drawing new plans--, drawing set, a
standard board etc. and any error made, meant that the engineer had to restart
the drafting process with new paper as well as new tools in some cases. But the
use of CAD software eliminates all these hassles for with a computer and your
installed software, an engineer can work as cheaply as possible without wasting
any materials
Accuracy - the proverbial error due to parallax has been nullified
with the advent of computer drafting software for its application tools measure
lines and angles to the highest form of accuracy possible. This has simplified
the workloads of engineers who no longer have to deal with the time and effort
needed to search for and correct wrong dimensions.
Ease of networking - CAD applications such as the Building
Information Modeling Systems has made it possible for multiple engineers
located in different places, work on a particular project with all of them
having the same tools, view and access to the project in question. This system
also enables the transfer of files without the fear of loss and degradation
that can occur to traditional drafting paper.
Realistic representations - drafting by hand was or is only capable of
achieving a two-dimensional viewing of the structure been built which called
for multiple drawings before all sides of the structure can be adequately
represented. The use of CAD eliminated the time and resources that used to be
wasted in trying to accomplish a realistic view when drawing by hand, by
providing virtual tours, 3D representations and simulation of machine
components and structures thereby simplifying the job of an engineer.
Creating job opportunities- today, higher institutions have specialized
programs for the learning of computer aided drafting and companies/business
organizations now hire architects, engineers and even interior decorators who
are proficient in CAD use, the high demand for CAD professionals can arguably
be said to be the greatest revolutionary benefit of the invention of Computer
aided design software.
About Author:
Author Bio: Creativity and Passion
are Alexandra Jay’s watch words and these magical words are what she brings
into her writings. she is also a Cad Services and 2D Drafting Services
enthusiast, aspiring novelist and a "fashionista" to boot!!!
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