Labor saving ideas involving the computer, particularly for industrial and mechanical purposes, is a never-ending process. Computers in industry are drastically changing the way things are made and profoundly changing the jobs of the people who make them. In 1947 the California Institute of Technology devised a method for using computers to aid in designing aircraft. By 1950, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had developed an automatically controlled milling machine used in cutting metal parts. In 1963, Sketchpad, an early forerunner of the Computer Aided Design (CAD) system, was developed by Lincoln Laboratories. A similar system, DAC-1 from General Motors, was developed at the same time. In 1968 MIT and the U.S. Air Force jointly developed a CAD/CAM (computer aided manufacturing) system to drive lathes and tooling machines used in the aeronautics industry. By the 1970s a number of new methods were developed to remove much of the tedium and manual processes from design and manufacturing work. Now an essential part of industry, CAD/CAM, as it is more commonly called, is the process of using the computer in design and manufacturing functions. Thousands or tens of thousands of highly technical and accurate drawings and charts are required for the many design specifications, blueprints, material lists and other documents used to build complex machines. If the engineers decide structural components need to be changed, all the plans and drawings must also be changed. Prior to CAD/CAM, human designers and draftspersons had to change them manually, a time consuming and error-prone process.
When a CAD system is used, the computer can automatically evaluate and change all corresponding documents instantly. Using interactive graphics workstations, designers, engineers and architects can create models or drawings, increase or decrease sizes, rotate or change them at will, and see results instantly on screen. CAD use is particularly valuable in space programs, where many unknown design variables are involved. Previously, engineers depended upon trial-and-error testing and modification, a time consuming and possibly life threatening process. However, when aided by computer simulation and testing, a great deal of time, money and possibly lives can be saved. Besides its use in the military, CAD is also used in civil aeronautics, automotive and data processing industries. CAM, commonly utilized in conjunction with CAD, uses the computer to communicate instructions to automated machinery. CAM techniques are especially suited for manufacturing plants, where tasks are repetitive, tedious or dangerous for human workers. While the use of CAD/CAM systems enables the production of better, less expensive products, workers stand to lose their livelihoods due to the increased acceptance of automated systems. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), a term popularized by Joseph Harrington in 1975, is also known as Autofacturing. CIM is a programmable manufacturing method designed to link CAD, CAM, industrial robotics, and machine manufacturing using unattended processing workstations. CIM offers uninterrupted operation from raw materials to finished product, with the added benefits of quality assurance and automated assembly. Unfortunately, this means less direct human attention is required as well as fewer jobs in the workplace. CAE (computer aided engineering), which appeared in the late 1970s, combines software, hardware, graphics, automated analysis, simulated operation and physical testing to improve accuracy, effectiveness and productivity.
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