Solid modeling - Research Paper Example

The invention of the technique of solid modeling gives room for the mechanization of many complicated engineering calculations that are performed in the design process. The historical progress of solid modeling is seen in the perspective of the entire history of computer-aided design. The major milestone of this progress was the development of the system of research known as BUILD, and the commercial supplement of the system, known as Romulus (Siu and Tan 41) This system influenced the development of ACIS, Parasolid, and later solid modeling system.

One of the very first developers of computer aided design ASCON, started the internal improvement of its individual solid modeler back in 1990’s (Siu and Tan 42). In 2012, the scientific division of the ASCON turned into a separate corporation and was called C3D labs (Siu and Tan 42). It was given the duty of creating the C3D modeling system as a separate product. Other significant contributions originated from Mäntylä, particularly his GWB, as well as from GPM project that brought about hybrid modeling systems in the early 1980’s (Siu and Tan 43).

It was during this time that the programming concept of solid modeling known as PLaSM was invented at Rome University. The discovery of 3D CAD/CAM, however, is attributed to Pierre Bezier, a French engineer (Siu and Tan 44). In the period between 1967 and 1968, he came up with UNISURF after his mathematical study about surfaces. This invention was meant to ease the process of designing tools and parts of the automotive engineering. Later, UNISURF developed into the working foundation for the subsequent generation of computer-aided design software.

Another influential happening in the development of solid modeling was the establishment of Manufacturing and Consulting Services in 1971 (Li et al. 23). Dr. Hanratty founded this MCS. As computers progressively became more affordable, there has been a gradual expansion of the application areas. The development of