Old School Design Meets New Technology

摘要

Take a step back in time, about 25 years. Product design and manufacturing was drastically different, and didn't rely on CAD or computer design technologies in general. To create a new product or line, you'd start with drawings, then move to sculpted models created by artists. This turned into a months-long process with several expensive prototypes. Today, furniture company Kim-ball International is still using designs that it created manually in the '80s and '90s to manufacture its products. While the inventory is slightly different, base elements of older chairs and tables are still found in new designs - including seat cushions, ergonomic factors and seat backs. At Siemens' Solid Edge University 2014, Research & Design Engineering Manager Ri-cardo Espinosa spoke about how his department generated CAD data from a design that was created manually years ago. How was his department able to make data? The easiest solution, according to Espinosa, is 3D scanning.