Design Tools and Resources

Computational Tools

• Computer-aided design (CAD)
• Allows the development of (3-D) designs from which conventional 2-d orthographic views with automatic dimensioning can be produced.
• Manufacturing tool paths can be generated from the 3-D models
• Parts can be created directly from a 3-D database by using a rapid prototyping and manufacturing method (stereolithography)—paperless manufacturing
• Rapid and accurate calculations of mass properties such as mass, location of the center of gravity, and mass moments of inertia
• Other geometric properties such as areas and distances between points are likewise easily obtained 
• CAD software packages available such as Aries, AutoCAD, CadKey, I-Deas, Unigraphics, Solid Works, and ProEngineer, to name a few.
• Computer-aided engineering (CAE)
• Generally applies to all computer related engineering applications
• CAD can be considered as a subset of CAE 
• Some computer software packages perform specific engineering analysis and/or simulation tasks that assist the designer, but they are not considered a tool for the creation of the design that CAD is. Such software fits into two categories: 
• Engineering based
• finite-element analysis (FEA) programs for analysis of stress and deflection, vibration, and heat transfer (e.g., Algor, ANSYS, and MSC/NASTRAN); 
• computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programs for fluid-flow analysis and simulation (e.g., CFD++, FIDAP, and Fluent); and 
• programs for simulation of dynamic force and motion in mechanisms (e.g., ADAMS, DADS, and Working Model). 
• Non-engineering-specific.
• Software for word processing, spreadsheet software (e.g., Excel, Lotus, and Quattro-Pro), and
• mathematical solvers (e.g., Maple, MathCad, MATLAB,3 Mathematica, and TKsolver).