Integrated CAD and the implications for design practice

The paper reports on specific work carried out using the initial graphics exchange specification (IGES) for data transfer between two proprietary minicomputer-based and microcomputer-based computer-aided design (CAD) systems. The purpose of this work was to pinpoint and highlight the problems that may, and can, arise through performing detailed reflection, transmission and closed-loop tests using IGES translation. As a consequence, the implications of these results for 'integrated' mechanical design practice are also presented.