Implementing computer aided engineering in engineering courses

Abstract

[Abstract]: Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), the application of computers in the broadest sense including Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), is expected to affect virtually every aspect of engineering. With the introduction of a new engineering degree in 1984, the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (DDIAE) recognised that the time was opportune and indeed that it was vital that CAE and all its facets be embraced. Computer facilities must include appropriate hardware, integrated software and staff training as essential components to enable institutions to graduate students able to use these new techniques effectively and promote their use in the Australian context. This paper examines these aspects of CAE and relates details of the computer system eventually purchased by the DDIAE, staff development activities, current and proposed, and the courses and units in which these facilities are currently used.