- Email: [email protected]
Assembly line balancing and the application of computer techniques
design process as well as engineers responsible for checking designs.
Y K Chan (Real Time Developments Ltd, UK) and W A Knight (University of
Birmingham, UK) In the 1960s Martin V Jones spent four years with consulting engineers and four years with a large public authority in the UK. For the past eight years Mr Jones has been the National Executive Engineer of ACADS, The Association for Computer Aided Design, a non-profit self-help users group. It currently has over 200 Member Organizations throughout Australia and Overseas.
A system for the geometric description and machining of EDM electrodes for dies and moulds for forgings and castings is described. The geometry is defined as a series of simple volumetric modules or primitives, which are combined together to build up the whole item. The primitives include within their definition such features as the draft and edge radii found in forgings and castings. This allows complex shapes to be defined and machined with relatively few easy to use input instructions.
A H Bridges (ABACUS, UK)
Computer aided tolerance system
CAAD is poised to make a significant impact on architectural practice. The techniques are of proven efficacy and hardware is becoming both cheaper and more powerful. This paper argues that the value of past work in this field lies in the knowledge generated rather than the computer code produced. By making this knowledge accessible a significant advance in both the availability and quality of CAAD aids would be achieved. The basic techniques would become more available for implementation on inhouse machines, and, by the use of structured programming techniques new software developments could be undertaken in a relatively machine-independent manner with significant effects upon the overall software lifecycle costs.
P C Ingham (City of Birmingham Polytechnic, UK) A technique is described for solving the most neglected and essential of the three major problems in tolerance analysis. The problems are discussed and a model is described which may be used to represent the most complex of dimensioning systems. A component, or assembly of components, may be represented by a tree-like structure which may be processed to yield answers of interest to the designer. A series of programs for processing the structure are described, some examples are briefly discussed and an implementation on a microcomputer detailed.
Dr Peter Ingham was a design engineer at several firms in the aircraft and car industires. He is now a Lecturer in Computing at Birmingham Polytechnic. His other computer interests are computer art, the analysis of kinematic mechanisms and operating systems.
tectural Design. Computer-aided designing, constructing and manufacturing integrated processes for unified technical means MANUFACTURE ENGINEERING
AND MECHANICAL
A user oriented design aid for sheet metal parts L Gulliford (RacaI-Redac Ltd, UK) This paper describes a fully interactive graphics system providing facilities for sheet metal parts to be designed, dimensioned and assembled. System outputs comprise drawings and NC tapes for manufacturing. The system provides three views, which can be from any angle or at any scale, show the current status of work as modifications or additions are made. All dimensions that are created and dynamic: ifa dimensioned point is moved, the dimension value, position and projection lines are maintained. L Gulliford is a Senior Systems Programmer at RacaI-Redac Ltd. He has been with the company for five years and has taken a major part in the development of their PCB and schematic CAD systems.
MODCON: a system for the CAM of dies and moulds
In volume 12 n u m b e r 2 march 1980
Teador Winkler D Eng was born in 1945 in Poland. He graduated as Mechanical Engineer in 1970. In 1977 he took his doctor's degree, working on the subject of CAD for unified technical means.
Assembly line balancing and the application of computer techniques N A Schofield (CompedaLtd, UK)
Standards for architectural software
Alan Bridges is an architect currently working as a senior research fellow with ABACUS, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He is the author of a number of academic papers in the field of CAAD and design methodology, and editor of the Bulletin of Computer Aided A rehi-
Tadeusz Klimek D Eng was born in 1949 in Poland. He graduated as Mechanical and Power Engineer in 1973. In 1977 he took his doctor's degree, working on the subject of CAD for unified technical means.
T Klimek and TWinkler (Technical Uni-
versity Gliwice, Poland) The paper deals with computer-aided designing, constructing and manufacturing of integrated processes. A special type of a computer-assisted designing process (CAD) for unified technical means has been under investigation. The existence of a built-block machine family and its constructional modules has been utilized. These modules are components for identified numbers of technical means generations. It is achieved by compiling typical assemblies, subassemblies and elements. The above compilation process, which is really a process of selecting (semidesigning), is automatically realized and computer-assisted by means of decision tables. The problem of CAM was solved in an analogous way by some selection procedures (making a choice) from among typical, well known components of a unified manufacturing process. The SAPROSUW complex of programs has been developed for a practical, programmed and implemented system which is intended for unified bridge cranes CAD/ CAM processes.
Line balan~:ing is an important production planning function because the efficiency of assembly lines is directly linked to the quality of the balance. The balancing process is usually highly subjective and balances often have to be produced to some deadline. NULISP is a powerful computer program which helps the industrial engineer to produce a balanced breakdown of assembly operations into workstations whose work content is equalized between operators. All the normal conditions associated with assembly lines can be simulated to ensure that the resulting line design is realistic.
Norman Schofield is Technical Manager for Industrial Engineering with Compeda Limited. Before this he was Research Fellow at Nottingham University working in computer-aided industrial engineering and also examining cril~eria for successful production control.
BUILDING
DESIGN
A Computer-aided drafting/scheduling system in a medium-sized architectural practice D Campion (Cusdin Burden and Howitt, UK) Cusdin Burden and Howitt is a mediumsized architectural practice with 35 staff; it handles residential, office, university and hospital work, both new and rehabilitation, in the range £10 000 to £150 million. It operates two Tektronix 4081 computers, with a capital value of £82 000, which are used primarily for drafting and scheduling work. Over the last 18 months the computer has been used to produce the location drawings for contracts valued at over £50 million. The paper indicates how the computer is integrated with the work of the practice and sets out the financial and at'her benefits obtained as a result.
David Campion is an Associate of Cusdin Burden and Howitt, Chartered Architects and Member of the British Computer Society. He was responsible for the computer installation, training, development and production work in the practice. He has written a book Computers in architectural design, had many articles published in the technical press, and has lectured regularly on the subject. He is also responsible for running a number of major and minor architectural projects concurrently with the responsibilities for the computer work.
85
Y K Chan (Real Time Developments Ltd, UK) and W A Knight (University of
Birmingham, UK) In the 1960s Martin V Jones spent four years with consulting engineers and four years with a large public authority in the UK. For the past eight years Mr Jones has been the National Executive Engineer of ACADS, The Association for Computer Aided Design, a non-profit self-help users group. It currently has over 200 Member Organizations throughout Australia and Overseas.
A system for the geometric description and machining of EDM electrodes for dies and moulds for forgings and castings is described. The geometry is defined as a series of simple volumetric modules or primitives, which are combined together to build up the whole item. The primitives include within their definition such features as the draft and edge radii found in forgings and castings. This allows complex shapes to be defined and machined with relatively few easy to use input instructions.
A H Bridges (ABACUS, UK)
Computer aided tolerance system
CAAD is poised to make a significant impact on architectural practice. The techniques are of proven efficacy and hardware is becoming both cheaper and more powerful. This paper argues that the value of past work in this field lies in the knowledge generated rather than the computer code produced. By making this knowledge accessible a significant advance in both the availability and quality of CAAD aids would be achieved. The basic techniques would become more available for implementation on inhouse machines, and, by the use of structured programming techniques new software developments could be undertaken in a relatively machine-independent manner with significant effects upon the overall software lifecycle costs.
P C Ingham (City of Birmingham Polytechnic, UK) A technique is described for solving the most neglected and essential of the three major problems in tolerance analysis. The problems are discussed and a model is described which may be used to represent the most complex of dimensioning systems. A component, or assembly of components, may be represented by a tree-like structure which may be processed to yield answers of interest to the designer. A series of programs for processing the structure are described, some examples are briefly discussed and an implementation on a microcomputer detailed.
Dr Peter Ingham was a design engineer at several firms in the aircraft and car industires. He is now a Lecturer in Computing at Birmingham Polytechnic. His other computer interests are computer art, the analysis of kinematic mechanisms and operating systems.
tectural Design. Computer-aided designing, constructing and manufacturing integrated processes for unified technical means MANUFACTURE ENGINEERING
AND MECHANICAL
A user oriented design aid for sheet metal parts L Gulliford (RacaI-Redac Ltd, UK) This paper describes a fully interactive graphics system providing facilities for sheet metal parts to be designed, dimensioned and assembled. System outputs comprise drawings and NC tapes for manufacturing. The system provides three views, which can be from any angle or at any scale, show the current status of work as modifications or additions are made. All dimensions that are created and dynamic: ifa dimensioned point is moved, the dimension value, position and projection lines are maintained. L Gulliford is a Senior Systems Programmer at RacaI-Redac Ltd. He has been with the company for five years and has taken a major part in the development of their PCB and schematic CAD systems.
MODCON: a system for the CAM of dies and moulds
In volume 12 n u m b e r 2 march 1980
Teador Winkler D Eng was born in 1945 in Poland. He graduated as Mechanical Engineer in 1970. In 1977 he took his doctor's degree, working on the subject of CAD for unified technical means.
Assembly line balancing and the application of computer techniques N A Schofield (CompedaLtd, UK)
Standards for architectural software
Alan Bridges is an architect currently working as a senior research fellow with ABACUS, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He is the author of a number of academic papers in the field of CAAD and design methodology, and editor of the Bulletin of Computer Aided A rehi-
Tadeusz Klimek D Eng was born in 1949 in Poland. He graduated as Mechanical and Power Engineer in 1973. In 1977 he took his doctor's degree, working on the subject of CAD for unified technical means.
T Klimek and TWinkler (Technical Uni-
versity Gliwice, Poland) The paper deals with computer-aided designing, constructing and manufacturing of integrated processes. A special type of a computer-assisted designing process (CAD) for unified technical means has been under investigation. The existence of a built-block machine family and its constructional modules has been utilized. These modules are components for identified numbers of technical means generations. It is achieved by compiling typical assemblies, subassemblies and elements. The above compilation process, which is really a process of selecting (semidesigning), is automatically realized and computer-assisted by means of decision tables. The problem of CAM was solved in an analogous way by some selection procedures (making a choice) from among typical, well known components of a unified manufacturing process. The SAPROSUW complex of programs has been developed for a practical, programmed and implemented system which is intended for unified bridge cranes CAD/ CAM processes.
Line balan~:ing is an important production planning function because the efficiency of assembly lines is directly linked to the quality of the balance. The balancing process is usually highly subjective and balances often have to be produced to some deadline. NULISP is a powerful computer program which helps the industrial engineer to produce a balanced breakdown of assembly operations into workstations whose work content is equalized between operators. All the normal conditions associated with assembly lines can be simulated to ensure that the resulting line design is realistic.
Norman Schofield is Technical Manager for Industrial Engineering with Compeda Limited. Before this he was Research Fellow at Nottingham University working in computer-aided industrial engineering and also examining cril~eria for successful production control.
BUILDING
DESIGN
A Computer-aided drafting/scheduling system in a medium-sized architectural practice D Campion (Cusdin Burden and Howitt, UK) Cusdin Burden and Howitt is a mediumsized architectural practice with 35 staff; it handles residential, office, university and hospital work, both new and rehabilitation, in the range £10 000 to £150 million. It operates two Tektronix 4081 computers, with a capital value of £82 000, which are used primarily for drafting and scheduling work. Over the last 18 months the computer has been used to produce the location drawings for contracts valued at over £50 million. The paper indicates how the computer is integrated with the work of the practice and sets out the financial and at'her benefits obtained as a result.
David Campion is an Associate of Cusdin Burden and Howitt, Chartered Architects and Member of the British Computer Society. He was responsible for the computer installation, training, development and production work in the practice. He has written a book Computers in architectural design, had many articles published in the technical press, and has lectured regularly on the subject. He is also responsible for running a number of major and minor architectural projects concurrently with the responsibilities for the computer work.
85