Computer Aided Design

Computer Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing. CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations.

All technical systems are the combination of functions. The layout of these functions, their interactions, possible incompatibilities are part of the engineer's knowledge. When the system is assigned too many parameters, it becomes difficult to control everything. CAD can be used to design systems whose complexity exceeds the capacity of the human being.

Virtual design allows the global appreciation of the behavior of createds object before they even exists. In CAD, we do not draw, we virtually build an object capable of reacting in its virtual space according to the laws of the software. The result, called digital mockup constitutes a real scalable prototype.

Parameters and constraints can be used to determine the size, shape, and other properties of the different modeling elements. The features in the CAD system can be used for the variety of tools for measurement such as tensile strength, yield strength, electrical or electro-magnetic properties. Also its stress, strain, timing or how the element gets affected in certain temperatures, etc.

(source : Wikipedia)