Demands on and possibilities with computer programs for support in different activities of a product development process will be described, based on a single part (e.g. a cast or moulded product). Such activities include (not necessarily all of the following or in this order) conceptual design, analysis, calculations and simulations, prototyping, detailed design, product data communication, tool design, analysis and simulation of moulding and production and assembly planning. The computer support of each activity will be introduced and discussed from different perspectives and a series of hands-on laborations will be made, to illustrate the different activities. The integration of different activities and their common data will also be a central task throughout the course.
During lab exercises work station based CAD/CAM systems with solid and parametric modelling capabilities and associativity will be used.