In the 1990s, both FEA and CAM suddenly became affordable and usable, even on the shopfloor. In 1999, Algor created an affordable FEA product that integrated directly with a CAD product and offered easier-to-learn tools than previously available. They were followed in a charge led by COSMOS, Noran Engineering, and others. FEA integrated with mainstream design products has meant that most testing and analysis can be conducted quickly and with reliable results. Now an engineer can find out much earlier in the process if a design has any flaws and eradicate them quickly.
The rise of affordable CAM has meant that tooling shops can use 3D data directly to create NC code. One of the first affordable CAM systems, SmartCAM from Point Control, was released in 1985 as an application to AutoCAD. The ability to directly transpose CAD data into NC data meant that molds, tools, and prototypes could be created rapidly with less potential for error. Suppliers with direct-to-NC capabilities started to gain competitive ground as manufacturers began taking an interest in the process. But back then, the process was not perfect and it has since taken another 20 years for it to become a natural part of the mold and tool process. It also led to the direct production of low-volume parts as well as the off-shoot into rapid prototyping.
3D CAD interoperability has improved so much that history and feature data from one CAD system can be translated into other CAD systems. This makes 3D digital data created in one system instantly reusable in another.
Now just about every major 3D CAD system has a CAM application, although some are quite expensive. But even the expense of having CAM is changing. For as little as $1,500 you can get CAM functionality with TurboCAD (via IMSI) that is starting to deliver tools that are almost as good as its more pricey cousins.
Triad Solutions LLC, a small company that develops and manufactures test dewars for InfraRed Focal plane Arrays, implemented TurboCADCAM in 2004.
“We knew that our customers wanted suppliers that use CAD data and who can optimize it,” explains Jeff Smith, president, Triad Solutions LLC. “While we looked at several, higher priced CAD systems, we found that TurboCAD offered us everything we needed and more at a fraction of the price.
“Creation of the G-code is automated in TurboCADCAM,” says Smith. “Although getting precisely the right settings is a focused job, it has proved worthwhile in being able to machine highly accurate parts directly in the shop. We love it!”
Tying it all together
Pieces of digital manufacturing have been used and perfected over the last 20 years. Recent projects by major automotives are going further to tying the whole process together. Ford’s Global CAD vision involves tying together UGS’ TeamCenter PLM technology with a variety of CAD platforms including I-deas and CATIA. The mission is to be able to have standard attribute and metadata being held and made available within TeamCenter, regardless of which CAD platform creates the 3D data. This kind of project is expensive and arduous, but will inevitably result in more ubiquitous, ready-to-use applications for a wider audience.
Also CAD file viewing came of age in the mid-1990s and gave everyone the tools to finally see 3D design data without needing to buy expensive CAD platforms. This situation provided thousands of companies the ability to be able to view and respond to electronic documents, starting down the road to digital manufacturing, without the expense traditionally attached to being able to see CAD data.
But, even with these changes, there were still a couple of barriers to digital manufacturing for the masses—communication of the 3D data. However, this may have recently been solved.
Internet communication
First came WebEx as a business communication and conferencing tool. Shortly thereafter came Cocreate’s OneSpace.net—a similar, internet-based communication tool that also combines the power of the Internet with shared CAD data viewing abilities, project management tools, as well as the ability to directly pass any project data files (including CAD data) between the project group without having to resort to e-mail. 数字化制造英文文献和中文翻译(2):http://www.751com.cn/fanyi/lunwen_6785.html