Internet-Based Delivery of CAD/CAM Capability: An Industry Case Study

This paper presents a case study in the use of the Internet as a medium for exchange of information and delivery of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) capability. The case study describes a collaboration among researchers and staff at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Thar Designs, Inc., a small business in Pittsburgh, PA that designs and sells highpressure fluid pumps. The objective of this case study is to identify the needs of small businesses in engineering industry in the area of Internet-based CAD/CAM services. The Internetbased interaction performed in this study encompassed various stages in an iterative product development process, consisting of design, data exchange, manufacturability analysis, and fabrication of a prototype.