Classroom Experiences in an Engineering Design Graphics Course with a CAD/CAM Extension*

This paper reports on the development of a new CAD/CAM laboratory experience for a lower division Engineering Design Graphics (EDG) course. The recent EDG curriculum included freehand sketching, introduction to Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD), and a strong emphasis on 3-D solid modeling. Based on an NSF-sponsored research project, the EDG curriculum paradigm has been extended to include solid model applications to design analysis and prototype manufacturing. Specifically in the analysis lab component, students generate mass properties reports and perform finite element analysis (FEA) of solid models built in previous weeks. In the manufacturing lab, the students build a 3-D solid model and generate an .STL file for exporting to a rapid prototyping (RP) machine. To facilitate use and availability of laboratory resources, the students are divided into four-member teams during the analyses and prototyping exercises. This paper reviews the project and reports on the testing of the new laboratory components which were introduced into a pilot, honors section of EDG during the Fall 1996.