Cad/Cam Begining
AN INDUTRY PERSPECTIVE ON THE BEGININGS OF CAD/ CAM
CONTENT
* ABSTRACT * INTRODUCTION * PERSONAL ENTRIES * THE EMERGENCE OF COMPUER PLOTS * CAM TO THE RESCUE * DEVELOPING ACCURATE LINES * THE COSMIC DICE * A FASCINATING IRONY * CONCLUSION
AN INDUTRY PERSPECTIVE ON THE BEGININGS OF CAD/ CAM
ABSTRACT: This paper is a discussion of the early days of CAM-CAD at The Boeing Company, covering the period approximately 1956 to 1965. This period saw probably the first successful industrial application of ideas that were gaining ground during the very early days of the computing era. Although the primary goal of the CAD activity was to find better ways of building the 727 airplane, this activity led quickly to the more general area of computer graphics, leading eventually to today’s picture-dominated use of computers. The paper started as an internal exchange of memories between some of the people primarily concerned, but is now offered as the possible start of a discussion involving other such initiatives during that period.
1. INTRODUCTION
Several independent early steps had taken place towards the idea of computer-aided design (CAD) during the early 1960s. CAD is the use of computer technology to aid in the design of a product [3]. That is, it is the mathematical definition of lines and surfaces for drawing lines and cutting parts with the computer. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) comprises the use of computer-controlled manufacturing machinery to assist engineers and machinists in manufacturing or prototyping product components, either with or without the assistance of CAD. CAM certainly preceded CAD and played a pivotal role in bringing CAD to fruition by acting as a drafting machine in the very early stages. All early CAM parts were made from the engineering drawing. The origins of CAM were so widespread that it is difficult to know whether any one group was aware of another. However, the NC machinery
CONTENT
* ABSTRACT * INTRODUCTION * PERSONAL ENTRIES * THE EMERGENCE OF COMPUER PLOTS * CAM TO THE RESCUE * DEVELOPING ACCURATE LINES * THE COSMIC DICE * A FASCINATING IRONY * CONCLUSION
AN INDUTRY PERSPECTIVE ON THE BEGININGS OF CAD/ CAM
ABSTRACT: This paper is a discussion of the early days of CAM-CAD at The Boeing Company, covering the period approximately 1956 to 1965. This period saw probably the first successful industrial application of ideas that were gaining ground during the very early days of the computing era. Although the primary goal of the CAD activity was to find better ways of building the 727 airplane, this activity led quickly to the more general area of computer graphics, leading eventually to today’s picture-dominated use of computers. The paper started as an internal exchange of memories between some of the people primarily concerned, but is now offered as the possible start of a discussion involving other such initiatives during that period.
1. INTRODUCTION
Several independent early steps had taken place towards the idea of computer-aided design (CAD) during the early 1960s. CAD is the use of computer technology to aid in the design of a product [3]. That is, it is the mathematical definition of lines and surfaces for drawing lines and cutting parts with the computer. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) comprises the use of computer-controlled manufacturing machinery to assist engineers and machinists in manufacturing or prototyping product components, either with or without the assistance of CAD. CAM certainly preceded CAD and played a pivotal role in bringing CAD to fruition by acting as a drafting machine in the very early stages. All early CAM parts were made from the engineering drawing. The origins of CAM were so widespread that it is difficult to know whether any one group was aware of another. However, the NC machinery
References: [1] Liming, Roy A.,Practical Analytic Geometry with Applications to Aircraft, Macmillan, 1944. [2] MB Solutions: http://mbinfo.mbdesign.net/CAD1960.htm [3] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD [4] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_manufacturing [5] Wikiversity: http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/CAD_-_History,_Present_and_Future