Design Tools and Resources

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Design Tools and Resources
Eng R. L. Nkumbwa
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Design Tools

• Today, the Engineer has a great variety of tools
  and resources available to assist in the solution
  of design problems.
• Ever falling costs of microcomputers and software
  packages provide tools of immense capability for
  the design, analysis and simulation of various
  engineering and technological system.

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Design Resources

• The Engineer always needs technical information,
  either in form of basic science/engineering
  behavior or systems.
• The resources can range from text books to
  manufactures broachers or catalogs however, the
  computer plays a major role in gathering all
  information.

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Design Computational Tools

• Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) software allows the
  development of three dimensional (3D) designs
  from which conventional 2D orthographical views
  with automatic dimensions can be produced.

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Design Computational Tools

• Manufacturing tool paths can be generated from
  the 3D models and in some cases parts can be
  created directly from a 3D database by using a
  rapid prototyping and manufacturing methods.
• Also called paperless manufacturing.

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Design Software Packages

• Aries
• AutoCAD
• CadKey
• iDeas / Unigraphics
• Solid Works
• Inventor
• Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES)
• ProEngineer, to name a few.

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Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• This is a program for analysis of stress and
  deflection, vibrations and heat transfer.
• Examples include
• Algor
• ANSYS
• MSC/NASTRAN

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Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• This is a program for fluid flow analysis and
  simulation.
• Examples include
• CFD
• FIDAP
• Fluent

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Simulation of Dynamic Force and Motion

• These are programs for force analysis and design
• Examples include
• ADAMS
• DADS
• Working Model

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Examples of NonEngineering

• QuattroPro
• Microsoft Office Package

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Acquiring Technical Information

• We are currently living in what is referred to as
  the Information Age.
• It is difficult, but extremely important to keep
  abreast of past and current developments in ones
  field of study and occupation.

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Acquiring Technical Information

• Libraries (Community, University and Private)
• Engineering dictionaries and encyclopedias,
  textbooks, monographs, handbooks, indexing and
  abstract services, journals, translations,
  technical reports, patents and business broachers
  and catalogues

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Acquiring Technical Information

• Government Sources
• Department of Defense, Commerce, Energy,
  Transportation NASA Government Printing Office
  Patent and Trademark Office and Standards
  Offices

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Acquiring Technical Information

• Professional Societies
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),
  Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SAE), Society
  of Automotive Engineers (SAE), American Welding
  Society (AWS), Institute of Engineering and
  Technology (IET), Institute of Mechanical
  Engineers (IMechE), Engineering Institute of
  Zambia (EIZ)

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Acquiring Technical Information

• Commercial Vendors
• Catalogs, Technical literature, Test data,
  Samples and Cost information.
• Internet
• Computer network gateway to websites associated
  to most categories above.

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Wrap-Up

• How is it - so far?
• Are you man ageing.
• Well
• What's your feedback? Then