Annotation

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Annotation, from the Latin ‘to add notes’ is vitally important in D&T as it allows you to communicate your thoughts and ideas in a way that cannot always be expressed through just a design sketch. It allows you to show more understanding about a product, as well as explaining how it matches the initial specification.

Please see the attachment, which shows the some of the different notes / annotation that you should be adding to your work.

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ANNOTATION GUIDELINES

CAD / CAM

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CAD

CAD stands for Computer Assisted Design. By now, you should have used CAD at some point. From very basic ‘paint’ programs to manipulate pictures and add effects, through to Autodesk Inventor to visualise your designs in 3D. th-6

CAD generally refers to the previously mentioned ‘design programs’ however, there are many other aspects to CAD. We must think about the whole design process, and exactly what you may use a computer for, here are some examples below-

  • Researching existing products.
  • Using a camera to capture images, then adding labels.
  • Sharing information via email
  • Typing up results
  • Presenting results as graphs and tables
  • The use of Techsoft 2D Design, to design our products in a format that the laser cutter, or vinyl cutter can recognise
  • The use of Autodesk Inventor, to show how the product will look in 3D. This will also give us a way of sending a design to the 3D Printer
  • On-line surveys.

CAM

CAM stands for Computer Aided (Assisted) manufacturing. CAM is the use of computer software to control a machine in the manufacturing (or making) of a product.th-5

CAM is the next step from CAD. Eg: We may create a design on a CAD program, then send it to the CAM for production.

The main purpose of CAM is to quickly create components and objects with more precise dimensions than what would be possible if the job was done by hand.

Examples of CAM are-

3d-printer

ADVANTAGES OF CAD / CAM

  • Easy to make simple changes
  • More precise than doing the design / making by hand
  • High quality outcomes
  • Minimal waste
  • Less chance of human error
  • Your work saves automatically.

DISADVANTAGES OF CAD / CAM

  • Requires training and skills (costs money) to be trained to a high level
  • Expensive to set up initial system
  • Can be slower for one-off or low-volume production
  • Can sometimes lose your work

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Extension: Have a read through some of the following links. 

Would you live in a 3D printed house? or Drive a 3D printed car? Why not check out this 3D Printed Jaw or these other 3D Printed Body Parts? or even munching your way through some 3D Printed Food?

Consider how fast this technology is changing. When you have finished, then leave a comment to the following question: What you think we will be able to do with CAD and CAM in 25 years time?