With the dramatic changes in computing power and wider availability of software
tools for design and production, engineers are now using CAD/CAM/CAE systems
for everyday tasks, not just for demonstrations. International competition, de-
creased availability of skilled labor, and increased emphasis on quality are also
forcing manufacturers to use CAD/CAM/CAE systems to automate their design
and production processes. As a result, educators in engineering schools are experi-
encing a new pressure to change the way they teach design-related courses in order
to equip their students to interact with CAD/CAM/CAE systems and have a knowl-
edge of their fundamental principles.
The objective of this book is to present the fundamental principles and con-
cepts underlying CAD/CAM/CAE systems rather than explain the use of specific
systems. Some people may argue that it is enough to teach a student how to use ex-
isting systems or even a specific popular system because the student as an engineer
will be the user—not the developer—of such systems. However, in order to use ex-
isting software effectively and create usable macros or programs for automated de-
sign, the user must understand both the computing environment and the underlying
system principles. With this knowledge of the fundamentals, the student can
quickly learn a specific system within a specific environment and use it to its maxi-
mum capability. Furthermore, manuals and documentation that are typically pro-
vided with CAD/CAM/CAE systems tend to concentrate on the user interface and
its syntax, assuming that the user has a sound theoretical background. A user who
does not have this background will have trouble understanding the terminology of
system documentation and will also have trouble dealing with system errors.
