CAM abbrevition represents Computer-Aided Manufacturing
concept. In the contemporary world, it is almost impossible to talk about
serial production, or production line without the concept of CAM. CAM systems
basically use computers and software packages to plan, and visualize the
manufacturing process. Altough Computer-Aided Drawing and Computer- Aided
Manufacturing are strictly classified as two different concepts, CAD might be
tought a tool to be used in CAM concepts.
(2)
CNC Manufacturing Concepts
CNC means Computer-Numeric Control. CNC concept uses CA
Drawings to guide itself. In the modern factories almost every kind of metal
forming could be managed by CNC. CNC milling, lathe, folding, punch, and etc.
CNC systems basically use computers and CAD/CAM codes to control machining tools,
and manufacturing tools.
First and second concepts were the most pronounced concepts of
modern manufacturing approaches, however, as mentioned while defining CAM,
there was also Computer-Aided Design concept. I would like to share of the examples
of this concept. CAD softwares, and specificaly I will explain Siemens NX, usually
used for the most rapid way of prototyping. Siemens NX is a software developed
by the industry pioneer firm Siemens, in Germany. Many users of this software
is also using SAP project management systems, or directly Siemens project
management, archieving, and control software packages. So the companies use
this software could be called as institutionally developed companies such as
ASELSAN A.Ş. . This software comes with different packages according to the
need of user. Some of these packages are solid modeling, technical drawing,
analysis, motion animation, etc.
Design processes are mostly depend on engineer more than any
software packages, or artificial intelligence. However, there can not be any
design without any calculation, and pre-analysis on the paper; accordingly, with
the evolution of the industry, the required calculation power need is also
evloved. For instance, today a regular car consists gear box which involves
dozens of gears inside very physically limited area, and the gears are significant
members of machine elements to transmission of power, and motion. KISSoft is a
software considers all neccessities as inputs which means it asks you about
maximum gear outer diameter in the series of gears, the torque needs to be
transmitted, required RPM I/O ratios, etc. At the and software recommends the
user the all options that can operate under the determined conditions.
This is a
scientific microstructural observation tool for metallurgy researches. EBSD
systems use Secondary Electron Microscopes at the background, we can call them
as some kind of apparatus and computational systems. EBSD systems are mostly
used for measurement of average grain sizes, orientation texture files,
misorientation angles, TWIN structures, and many more. Very contemporary usages
of the EBSD will be seen in the further concepts again.
(6) Finite
Element Analysis
CAD
modeling packages usually used for designing, and prototyping in virtual
environment. However, maybe their more useful capability is analysis. Nowadays,
we can analyze beams for strength analysis, automobiles for vibration analysis,
indoors for climate control analysis. All these analyses are very hard to do
with hand work if very accurate results are sought, however, if we can use the
computational power of computers, we can mesh every kind of environment into extremely
small tiny parts. Starting from a very small portion, the concept can predict
the reaction of the system under the given possible scenarios.
(7) Fatigue
If we talk
about relatively big mass systems, engineers are preferred to use steels, and
other kinds of metallic materials. However, there is also very important
phenomenon called fatigue of metals. Fatigue is deforming the metallic
materials in plastic region, which is non-recoverable, frequently. Such as
suspension systems of automobiles, hammers of forging machines, or railways.
Fatigue fractures are dangerous if required maintenance is not applied since
they are predictable but not easily observed.
(8)
Hydrogen Embrittlement
This is well known phenomenon for almost 150 years
for metallic materials industry, however, it gets more and more critical area
with the expanding hydrogen energy infrastructures. Hydrogen is somehow diffused
in to the crystal or microstructure of metals, and behave like an interstitial
element inside the system. This might be both a positive or negative effect,
for instance, we are using carbon atoms to make steels more durable against loads,
but even for carbon, after a specific concentration it deteriorate the
mechanical properties. Same condition is valid for hydrogen too. So this field
gets more and more attractive.
Synthetic
Microstructure Representation is a new concept compared to others. Previous
concepts shows analysis, and computational analysis is how important for
mechanical engineering fields from both time concerns, budget saving, and
accurate/scientific data perspectives. Traditionally, mechanical properties of
materials are measured by some real-world tests. However, within the progress
in the technology, researchers are seeking the ways to eliminate these time and
money consuming tests, and want to carry out these tests in computer
environment. DREAM.3D is a newly developed software that creates a synthetic
crystal in the computer environment via using the texture data taken with EBSD
techniques. After SMR process is completed, there are several software that can
import the SM, and apply mechanical tests on computer environment, for example
ABAQUS.
(10)
Tolerances in Design and Manufacturing
Almost all mechanical systems operate as a result
of synchronous proper working of many machine elements together. For instance,
if we thought about a simple hinge, it consists a hole and a rod which these
are fit one into another. If the manufacturer produce these inner diameter of
the hole and the outer diameter of the rod at the same dimension, these two
will not properly operate, probably they will not even fit at the assembly at
the beginning. That was very simple machine, however, if we think about more
complex systems such as internal combustion engine, even one manufacturing
dimension fault would make whole engine block workless. In order to prevent these
kind of problems, engineering unions and quality inspector institutions publish
some manuals that works similar to somehow using metric system in many
countries. If a manufacturer will produce a rod, both the designer, and the worker
using the lather should consider about the tolerances.
