Category: Others

In the footwear industry, Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing are used for designing and grading shoe upper patterns and, manufacturing of cutting dies, shoe lasts and sole moulds, respectively.

CAD was introduced in the shoe industry first in 1970s. Initially, it was used primarily for pattern grading. It enabled manufacturers to easily and quickly perform complex grading.

Today, CAD systems are used in a wide range of functions. Logos, textures and other decorations can be incorporated into product designs of both the uppers and soles to help reinforce branding on all areas of a model. CAD automates routine procedures, increasing speed and consistency whilst reducing the possibility of mistakes. CAD data can now be used effectively for a wide variety of activities across footwear manufacturing business. CAD/CAM generates data at the design stage, which can be used right through the planning and manufacturing stages.

Latest improvements in the CAD/CAM technology are:

• Graphic capabilities and interconnectivity have improved enormously
• Software developments have progressively made systems more intuitive and easier to use
• With 2D sketch and paint modules, a serviceable sketch can be produced and then color and texture can be added
• 3D systems enable the last and design to be viewed from any perspective and several angles even simultaneously.

With CAD/CAM software, footwear manufacturers can cut their time to market dramatically and hence, increase market share and profitability. In addition, the power and flexibility of the software can overcome restrictions to the designer’s creativity imposed by traditional methods.

Pattern grading

Shoe upper patterns need to be graded for the whole scale of the assortment of the required shoe sizes, which can be European, British or American sizing. Individual parts are graded instantaneously, which enables the designer to check the graded parts on the monitor. If any discrepancies are found, the designer can change the grading specifications immediately and re-grade the parts in no time.

Die making

Cutting dies made of steel are used in the shoe production to cut uppers from leather, textile or synthetics. Some CAD systems offer modules that enable long-distance transfer of data for shoe production preparation via modem or the Internet. The graphics data of patterns designed can then be transmitted easily to the die producer. The system also calculates the circumference of the die, which is the key factor of the die cost.

Automated leather

Automated cutting machines are widely used today in the footwear industry to cut uppers from leather, when die costs are relatively high for samples or low quantity styles. Computerized cutting systems use graphics data output of CAD systems as input.

Cost calculation

Using the graphics data generated, the CAD software can perform instant and highly accurate calculations for material consumption and product cost of the shoe, eliminating grueling and time-consuming work. It also helps in the introduction of detailed documentation and in effective staff training.

Shoe last design

Lasts can now be produced on a selection of numerically controlled lathes and milling machines using data output from CAD systems. Last shapes can be modified and new lasts created in the CAD systems. Variations in toe shape, heel curve and toe spring are easily achievable. Combining parts of different lasts also takes a few minutes with CAD technology.

It is possible to develop shoe design and tooling before the last physically exists because they are all derived from the same source data in the CAD system.

Easy modification of last shapes through CAD has enabled the development of software and procedures for orthopedic and customized footwear. Modules for materials and labor costing, lay planning and style specification sheets can be used early in the development of shoe styles.

Complex shapes can be generated, both rapidly and accurately, from the 3D computer representation of the appropriate last.

Sole design

CAD/CAM software can be used to generate machining data for shoe sole models and moulds. Shoe sole mould makers are able to strengthen their capabilities of mould design and production techniques to meet the market demands for shorter product life cycle, quality improvement and handling versatile pattern design. This helps especially sports shoe producers to manufacture products rapidly and to introduce them earlier than their competitors.

3D CAD/CAM is the core technology for shoe sole mould in the footwear industry and develops towards specialization.

Benefits of CAD/CAM in the mould manufacturing are:

• Total modeling for rapid generation of design concepts and variations
• Reverse engineering from existing models or parts
• Easy design modification and morphing capability
• Completely accurate designs regardless of complexity
• Group grading of soles and uppers
• Advanced decorating techniques
• Realistic onscreen visualization
• Rapid generation of molds from product designs

This issue of the CADDZOOM, we continue our “Be the engineer of your career” series by taking an in-depth look into civil engineering.

Engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world. Around 2550 BC, Imhotep, the first documented engineer, built the famous stepped pyramid of King Zoser, located at Saqqarah. Ancient monuments like the pyramids still hold their sway over modern Civil Engineering.

Today too, engineers continue to revolutionize the world. It is for this reason that engineers must be encouraged to stay true to their passions. A deeper insight into the different streams of engineering helps aspiring engineers remain inspired.

Civil Engineering – creating the world!

“You can’t have civilization without civil engineering.”

Civilization relies on teams of inventive people to design, build and maintain sophisticated infrastructure that surround us. It is this group of inventive people who are known as civil engineers. One cannot think of a society whose foundations haven’t been laid by civil engineers. The influence of civil engineering in our life is tremendous: from our water delivery system at our homes to the road networks that we use for transportation, civil engineering can positively impact the quality of our life. Civil engineering is the oldest of the engineering disciplines. The first engineering school, the National School of Bridges and Highways, was opened in 1747 in France.

What do civil engineers do?

Civil engineers are responsible for designing, building and maintaining all types of structures. The wide range of civil structures includes water-supply and sewer systems, railroads and highways, and planned cities. Civil engineering, therefore, comprises of various subfields such as environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, geophysics, geodesy, control engineering, structural engineering, biomechanics, nanotechnology, transportation engineering, earth science, atmospheric sciences, forensic engineering, municipal or urban engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, coastal engineering, surveying, and construction engineering.

Reference: www.whatiscivilengineering.csce.ca

Falkirk Wheel   – A marvel of Civil Engineering!

The Falkirk Wheel, located in Scotland, is truly an engineering marvel, presented to the world by Civil Engineers. To put it simply – the Falkirk Wheel allows boats to fly. It was built to connect two different canals, providing a way for boats to travel without a natural waterway. The Falkirk Wheel connects two canals with a height difference of 35 meters.

The Falkirk Wheel is built around a central wheel that comprises of two opposing arms revolving around a central axle. Each of these arms is fitted with diametrically opposing caissons. A caisson in geotechnical engineering is a watertight chamber used to carry out construction work underwater. The caissons installed in the Falkirk Wheel works in the opposite manner, the water is retained inside the caisson instead of being excluded. It was for this reason that the Falkirk Wheel’s caissons are also called Gondolas.

The caisson works on the Archimedes principle. The weight of the caissons is always maintained at 600 tons, whether the caisson is carrying just water or a boat. When the boat enters the caisson the weight of the water displaced is equal to the weight of the boat, allowing it to float. The caissons are rotated in the same speed as the wheel but in the opposite direction this ensures that caissons are always at level. The caissons lead the boat to an aqueduct which leads the boat to the next canal. An aqueduct is an artificially constructed watercourse to transport water

Reference: www.falkirk-wheel.com

The Civil Engineers today continue to accelerate the progress in the world. A report published by the Institution of Civil Engineers takes a look into the areas where civil engineers can contribute to the most.

Areas influenced by Civil Engineering:

Civil Engineers help support life :Civil Engineers bring about the supply of fresh water to all parts of the world thereby increasing quality of life. An illustration: In Ethiopia, only 24% of the country’s 62.6 million people have safe water and only 15% have sanitation. Water-related diseases are common and life expectancy is only 43 years. Civil engineers designed the Hitosa gravity water scheme, a part of Ethiopia’s largest water-supply project. Civil engineers had the vision needed to design and put into practice such a huge scheme, working with 60,000 local people to provide safe water for their communities.

Civil Engineers protect us from natural disasters :Natural disasters are managed better when understanding of the environment is applied to real time situations. This is especially true in coastal areas that are threatened by being worn away by the sea or floods, and inland sites may be contaminated by previous industrial activities or threatened by subsidence (an area of land gradually sinking or caving in). Extreme heat and cold, winds, earthquakes and risk of flooding cause problems, but civil engineers are using their skills to make areas safer. ‘Superadobe’ is a beehive-like building developed for future communities on the Moon. It has been adapted to create affordable emergency housing for survivors of disasters like the Asian tsunami.

Civil Engineers help us get from point A to point B :Transport systems join our communities together. Road, rail, air and sea networks span the world. They help us trade, travel, exchange ideas and information, and gain employment, healthcare and education. Civil engineers understand the best ways to move around or across our environment, creating the networks that help take us where we want to go.

The Green Wheel is an excellent example of civil engineering’s contribution to transportation. Opened in 2002, it is an 80km network of footpaths and cycle ways around Peterborough, UK, that encourages ‘green travel’ and sustainable tourism. It includes a series of bridges to carry horses, people on foot and cycles over roads, railways and rivers. The bridges link nature reserves, picnic sites, sculpture trails and small parks, helping local people and visitors to get more enjoyment out of the area.

Civil Engineering with Modern Tools

Today, the civil engineer is equipped with several tools to make his task easy. One such example is Revit – a BIM software.

Revit comes with loads of unique features to help designers and architects design more sustainable, accurate designs with fewer errors and less waste, thus achieve higher profits and more satisfied clients. Some of the features that make Revit Architecture irresistible include:

Analysis: Revit is used to create and capture photo realistic design ideas and contextual environments. It lets the users to capture and analyze design concepts and enables them to take right decisions for sustainable design, clash detection, construction planning, and fabrication.

User friendliness: Users can sketch freely, and create 3D forms quickly, and manipulate forms interactively. The users can prepare their models for fabrication and construction with built in tools for conception and clarification of complex forms.

Manufacturing viability: Engineers and architects can perform daylighting and energy analysis, and gain insights into manufacturing viability and early construction material takeoffs.

Collaboration: It helps them collaborate with engineers, contractors, and owners. Using Revit, engineers and architects can optimize team collaboration, communicate more clearly and reliably the design intent to all stakeholders, including fabricators.

Interoperability: Engineers and architects can bring conceptual massing concepts from applications such as AutoCAD and Autodesk, Maya as well as Auto DesSys form.Z, McNeel Rhioceros, Google Sketchup, or other ACIS or NURBS based applications into Revit Architecture as mass objects, and begin schematic design.

Reference: www.ice.org.uk

All guidance is incomplete without the advice of experts. An accurate grip of any subject is only possible if theoretical knowledge is met with practical examples. It’s for that reason that we set up an interview for you with a leading mechanical engineer.

Meet Mr. K. Vishwanathan, Chairman and Managing Director CADD Centre Software Solutions. The world of CADD is his home ground. Mr. Vishwanathan’s insight is valuable because of his 24 years of experience in the world of CAD and has exhaustive knowledge of the same. He began his career as a CADD Trainer and today is the Chairman and Managing Director CADD Centre Software Solutions. He is also certified AMIE – Mechanical, The Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers (AMIE) is a professional certification given by Institution of Engineers (India).

This is an excerpt of the interview, more at www.caddcentre.ws/caddPlanCareer.php

1. How is the field of mechanical engineering different from the other engineering streams?

Mechanical engineering in reality is comprehensive and there is no one other area of engineering which is complete without manufacturing. Mechanical engineering involves shorter product life cycles, as compared to civil and structural aspects referred to as infrastructure.

2. What are the challenges a mechanical engineer faces, especially at the start of his/her career?

Common issue would be where to start and how to start. With a good blend of knowledge and right skills one could visibly see opportunities to begin and build a strong career. Engineers have to master the entire engineering process “Concept to Reality”, “Art to Part” and how to sell (their ideas) as well.

3. What are the qualities the industry looks for in a budding engineer?

In addition to the knowledge and skill sets, industry constantly looks for curiosity, imagination, communication and sense of responsibility. Functional exposure and the flair to understand newer trends in technology and quickly adapt to them are equally vital as well.

4. How can a mechanical engineer set himself/herself apart from his/her competition?

Acquiring thorough knowledge right from first principles is vital. By acquiring unique skills on the most recent technologies from CADD Centre, mechanical engineer can set himself apart.