Computers and the aerospace engineer

Computers have become invaluable to the aerospace engineer for a variety of tasks. This first in a series of articles covering computers in aerospace concentrate on the use of computers for design and analysis, presenting a representative spectrum of aerospace companies and examples of project enhancements through computer use. Advances in CAD have extended to producing 3-D parts that not only factor in part shape, but also model the geometry of objects as solids rather than surfaces. Drawings can be enhanced, and parts can be rotated, through rendering and animation. The detailed part geometry, contained a data base, can be analyzed with finite element analysis (FEA) programs and used to produce a prototype (with systems such as stereolithography) in minimal time. Some CAD systems can then be linked to manufacturing systems, where parts production is directed.