How Did Computer Aided Design (CAD) Develop?

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computer software to facilitate the generation, modification, and optimization of a part or a compilation of parts. Using software to facilitate part design allows for higher precision, simpler and more accurate design iterations, and comprehensive documentation for part and/or project management (e.g. integration with a traditional Bill of Materials or BoM). 

 

Sixty years ago, the “Father of CAD,” Dr. Patrick Hanratty created the first numerical control system, which would later become Computer Aided Design or CAD. The precision, versatility, and edit-ability of CAD designs revolutionized the engineering, architecture and manufacturing landscape. The importance of CAD cannot be understated. 

 

 

Computer and Hardware Development for CAD

1943: The first general purpose computer was developed in 1943 .It was named the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) and was used principally to calculate ballistics for US Army artillery shots.

 

1953: The first graphics formed through mathematical equations took place roughly ten years later and involved the use of a computer numerical control machine and a cutting tool.

 

1964: In the early 1960s the first commercially available Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems were coming out on the market. The first of these were used by large aerospace, engineering, and information technology companies like Lockheed, General Motors, and IBM.

 

One of the first computerized graphical display systems, the “DAC-1” (which stood for Design Augmented by Computer) came out in 1963 as part of a joint project between two of the aforementioned companies (GM and IBM). GM unveiled the technology in 1964 used it for nearly a decade until it was eventually replaced by a superior iteration.

 

 

CAD Software Development

1963: CAD took an enormous step forward with the introduction of SKETCHPAD in 1963 by Ivan Sutherland. Also known as “Robot Draftsman,” Sketchpad was a novel step forward in the field of human-computer interaction and was a major breakthrough in computer graphics in general.

 

1971: Another major step forward involved the introduction of Automated Drafting And Machining (ADAM). ADAM was a CAD system designed by Dr. Patrick J. Hanratty whose company.

 

1970s: 3D CAD was first introduced in the 1970s but not in a widely distributed fashion. Most design at this time was still being done with pencil and paper.

 

1980s to today: Solid modeling was the major CAD advancement made in the 1980s. Significant software offerings included the well known 2D system known as “AutoCAD.”

 

While the History of Computer Aided Design  closely parallels the “History of the Computer,” there have been many innovations and iterations along the way. With its introduction in 1957, it was still decades ahead of small and affordable computers which could run the software. Pencil and paper would remain the primary way “draftsman” would create designs for another 30 years. But the groundwork was laid for things to come, CAD software would a fundamental tool for nearly every industry.

 

Yea-Lin has built a skilled team of CAD/CAM engineers and developed a variety of mold manufacturing solutions which adapted to market demand.