In the past 30 years, software development companies have made great strides in the areas of project planning, business management, material handling, engineering and manufacturing, in hopes that someday an all-in-one software package would be made available. Companies like PTC, Dassault Systemes, AutoDesk and Siemens NX, are making this dream a reality. Just because one very expensive piece of software can handle most aspects of engineering development that does not mean that it is flexible. Nor can it be adapted to individual companies and their standard practices. This gives companies the false hope of true integration, where the same information has to be entered multiple times, and no time is saved when working between modules. True integration occurs at the point where both customization and artificial intelligence meet, to produce an outcome that saves both time and money. Through the use of API's (Application Programming Interface) and custom software, true integration is closer to becoming a reality. The focus of this project is to develop a customized software program geared toward small to midsized job-shop companies that cannot afford all-in-one software packages. Software like SolidWorks, FeatureCAM, and Microsoft Office, are commonly used by such companies and with the aid of API's, a software will have the ability to communicate directly to objects inside each program. In particular, this software will focus on the transition between design, engineering, and manufacturing and the information that is passed between each stage of development. The results of this project demonstrate that the potential exists to enhance and simplify the product development process, but many questions remain unanswered and future technologies may help to unlock the key to full integration. For most mechanical engineering students, computer programming can be a challenging class. Due to the limited number of classes that engineers are required to take on the subject, programming is notoriously presented in a dry and non enthusiastic way. However, through the use of API's, students can connect more easily with programming concepts because it would involve an additional subject that they are more familiar with like parametric modeling and CNC programming. The following article discuses a student project in which the student learned to use API's and was able to develop software to manage data for a small to midsize job-shop environment, namely the shop at Oregon Tech.
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