Computer-aided design
Also called: CAD · Topic: Secondary Activities: Manufacturing and Industrial Location · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 5 "Secondary Activities"
Meaning
Computer-aided design (CAD) means using computers to design a product and test it before it is made. Engineers draw the product on screen, change its shape and check how it would perform. All of this happens without building a real model each time. CAD is often linked to computer-aided manufacturing, where the finished design goes straight to computer-controlled machines that make the product. NCERT lists CAD, along with robots on the assembly line, as a sign of high-tech industry.
Example
At a car company, engineers design a new car door on a computer. They test how strong it is and how well it fits, all on screen. They then send the final design directly to machines on the factory floor. This saves time and material, and it cuts mistakes.
Don't confuse with
- Automation: automation means machines running production through feedback and closed-loop computer control. CAD is about designing and testing products, not running the production line.
Related concepts
- High-tech industry
- White-collar and blue-collar workers
- Technopolis
- Silicon Valley
- Silicon Forest
- Global semiconductor hubs