Full Form of CAD
Computer Aided Design
CAD Full Form is Computer Aided Design. CAD is the software used to assist modification, creation, optimization of design, analysis, etc. It is commonly used by drafters, engineers, artists, architects, and others to make technical illustrations and precision drawings. CAD software can create 2-D or 3-D models. CAD/CAM refers to Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing. It is the software which is used to create and design various products like ECBs or electronic circuit boards in various devices including computers. Until the mid-80s, the CAD systems were nothing but specially constructed computers.
Currently, there are various types of CAD software available in the market. You can purchase CAD software which runs on personal computers and general-purpose workstations. In general, CAD systems helps engineers to view designs from whichever angle he or she requires with just a push of a button. It also helps to zoom in or zoom out for the required distance of views.
CAD Full Form – Additional Information
The utilization of the computer systems for helping in creating, analyzing, modifying and optimizing a design is referred to as CAD or Computer Aided Drafting. For improving communication via documentation, raising the designer’s productivity, creating a manufacturing database and improving the design’s quality, the CAD software is an optimum source. The output is usually a type of electronic files that can be used for machining, printing and other operations of manufacturing.
There are numerous areas where CAD is used. The EDA or Electronic Design Automation is designed with the help of CAD. It is also used for MDA or mechanical design automation. This consists of making drawings of the technical nature by using computer software. A number of figures, as well as curves, can be designed in 2D or two-dimensional spaces with the help of CAD. It can also be utilized for making 3D or three-dimensional solids, surfaces and curves.
History of CAD
Pierre Bezier was responsible for inventing CAM and CAD of three-dimensional nature. Between the years 1966 and 1968, the UNISURF was developed by him for making the designing of tools and parts easy for the automotive sector. This UNISURF then helped immensely in the development made in CAD by the following generations. The CAD’s 1st application of commercial nature was in the aerospace, electronics, and the automotive industry. Dr. Hanratty founded the MCS, which was among the influential events in the CAD development.
As the affordability of computers increased, the number of the application areas of CAD grew. The thing which made it applicable for the construction areas is the development of its software for PCs. Since then, the evolution of the CAD implementations has been dramatic. Its usage in the early years of the 1970s was limited to making drawings which were almost similar to those that were hand drafted. As the computer programming and hardware became more advanced, the applications of CAD have become more versatile in the activities of designing.
Types of CAD
The CAD is of various types. The two-dimensional systems of the lower end are produced by numerous open source as well as free programs. A complication-free approach is provided by them for drawing since the adjustments can be done while the final draft is created. An extension of the two-dimensional drafting is three-dimensional wireframe. The features like holes cannot be added directly to the final product, and there are no mass properties related to it.
The approach to the 3D wireframe is similar to that of the two-dimensional systems. The creation of three-dimensional ‘dumb’ solids is analogous to the real-world objects’ manipulations. Like cutting or assembling the objects of the real world, the basic geometrical forms of the three-dimensional nature like spheres, cylinders and prisms can have their volumes subtracted or added. The generation of the projected views of two-dimension is easy.
Technology of CAD
Initially, programming languages like ALGOL and FORTRAN were used for the development of the CAD systems. Currently, the advanced methods of OOPs or object-oriented programming are used for the same. The built-up of a CAD system can be assumed to be an interaction of NURBS geometry or the B-rep Data with the GUI through a modelling kernel of the geometric nature. A computer can be used for generating the CAD models after the scanning of the physical prototype. This is done by utilizing the industrial CT machine.
The initial selections of the physical or digital prototypes can the done in accordance with the requirements of the business. All platforms are supported by the CAD systems of the present generation. For the majority of the CAD software, special hardware is not needed. There are certain CAD systems that have the capability of performing intensive tasks computationally as well as graphically. For them, CPUs of high speed, graphic cards that use a modern technology and RAM having a large memory space are usually recommended.
CAD Software
The CAD software helps the architects as well as engineers in managing, inspecting and designing the engineering products on a PC within an integrated GUI. The solid modelling, along with the B-rep is supported by the majority of the applications. Due to this, solid modelling can be published in numerous formats. In the CAD industry, the famous companies that make commercial software include Siemens Software, Autodesk, PTC and Dassault Systems.
The software used for commercial applications includes Solid Edge and NX from Siemens, Solid Works from Dassault and Inventor and AutoCAD from Autodesk. The other software that is used for other applications includes Vari-CAD, Space Claim, Iron CAD, and Vector Works. The open source and free software that are quite well known include Nano-CAD, Free CAD, and QCAD.
