Design at M.I.T.

OCRd Copy

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN AT M.I.T.

I spent the afternoon with Professor Dwight Baumann discussing the computer aided design and related projects. In the course of the afternoon I saw a film showing how computers could be used in mechanical design processes. The philosophy behind this is that design consists of two distinct activities. One is the creative designation in broad outline of the finished product consisting of an assembly of a large number of smaller well known items; the second stage is the detailing of these many parts so that they can be made. It is in the second stage that the computer can be used. The designer sketches Very roughly, with what they call an electronic pencil, an outline of his requirement. This is then tidied up electronically and can be expanded, contracted, pivoted round a given point, and altered in various well defined ways. The information can then be put into store and another part sketched and processed in a similar manner. The first part can then be retrieved and assembled in relation to the second part. The whole process can go on until the complete mechanism has been assembled. The idea is that the information can then be printed out in the form of normal drawings or direct to machines. Refinements are being made so that design parameters may be calculated as a check of the design, for example, a stress analysis could be carried out automatically.

I think this field may be of interest to English Electric from two points of view, one is as an outlet for computers for a special purpose and the other is as an aid to design in our own organization.

Other comments by Professor Baumann are as follows:-

"Design is taught by experience".

"Degree courses at M.I.T. can suppress design ability".

"The prestige attached is not very high".

"Designers must have considerable courage and in training designers it is therefore important to praise highly so that they may receive much encouragement'.

"For commercial operations, design must be done objectively".

Professor Baumann does not agree with the morphological approach. (morphology - science of structure of organisms).

Design projects are given to sophomores 1st year students at American Universities. For example, recently 60 students carried out an exercise in systems design. Their project was the designing of an equatorial weather satellite. They listened for three hours a week to lectures showing the state of the relevant arts and spent 6 hours a week in the actual design work. The leadership was made to rotate so that many people had a turn.

Professor Mann was mentioned as being concerned with the philosophy of design.

One publication of interest was "Computer Aided Design Related to the Engineering Design Process" by S.A. Coombs and R.W. Mann. Mechanical Engineering Department 84.36 - TM5 - October 1960.

A book by Asimov of U.C.L.A. called "Fundamentals of Design" and published by Prentice Hall was recommended.