Computer aided design

The book comprehensively discusses principles, techniques, research activities, applications and case studies of computer-aided design in a single volume. The textbook will serve as ideal study material for undergraduate, and graduate students in a multitude of engineering disciplines.

The book:

• Discusses techniques for wireframe, surface and solid modelling including practical cases and limitations
• Each chapter contains solved examples and unsolved exercises
• Includes research case studies and practical examples in enabling the user to link academic theory to engineering practice
• Highlights the ability to convert graphic to non-graphic information such as in drawing up bills of materials in practice
• Discusses important topics including constructive solid geometry, Boolean operations on solid primitives and Boolean algebra

This text covers different aspects of computer-aided design, from the basic two-dimensional constructions through modifications, use of layers and dimensioning to advanced aspects such as three-dimensional modelling and customization of the package to suit different applications and disciplines.

It further discusses important concepts including orthographic projections, isometric projections, 3D wireframe modelling, 3D surface modelling, solids of extrusion and solids of revolution. It will serve as ideal study material for undergraduate, and graduate students in the fields of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, civil and construction engineering, aerospace engineering and manufacturing engineering.

Dr. Wilson R. Nyemba is a Senior Lecturer in Industrial and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe with over 30 years of experience both in industry and academia. He designed and developed a wide range of engineering products in different capacities in industry from product development to engineering management. He also formulated and led a number of successful ventures at the University of Zimbabwe where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He also served as Chairman of WaterNet and Project Manager for the Royal Academy of Engineering projects for enhancing the quality of engineering education in Southern Africa. He is an accomplished consultant and researcher with interests in Computer Aided Engineering Design and Manufacture, Engineering Education, Capacity Building and Sustainability, Systems Engineering, Systems Thinking, Modelling and Simulation. He has taught Computer Aided Engineering Design and Manufacture, inclusive of CAD and CAM for over 25 years to undergraduate and postgraduate students in Engineering in general and Mechanical Engineering respectively, from where the material for this book was derived. He developed the original manuscript for this book in the mid-1990s specifically for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for practising engineers in industry and has improved it over the years as the software also changed from one version to another, until this final manuscript of the book based on AutoCAD 2021 as the base software. He holds a BSc Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Zimbabwe, an MSc degree in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from the University of Warwick in England, funded by the British Council Overseas Development Authority Scholarship and a Doctor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Doctoral Innovation Scholarhsip. He is also currently co-appointed as a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Quality Assurance and Operations Management at the University of Johannesburg. His consultancies, research and engagements with industry in Southern Africa over a period of over 10 years, culimanted in authoring of the book, "Bridging the Academia Industry Divide: Innovation and Industrialisation Perspective using Systems Thinking Research in Sub-Saharan Africa" (ISBN 978-3-030-70492-6), published by Springer in 2021 and co-authored by Professor Charles Mbohwa of the University of Zimbabwe and Dr. Keith F. Carter of the University of Leicester in the UK. He has also carried out several consultancies in the areas and published over 50 peer reviewed papers in journals and conference proceedings. He has also received several awards and recognitions for outstanding research in his specific areas of research and interest.