INTEGRATED COMPUTER-AIDED-DESIGN OF A MECHANICAL SYSTEM - AN INDUSTRIAL CASE-STUDY

The investigation described in the paper was concerned with the computer-aided integration of the different tasks relating to the design of a fluid coupling in a drive system for an auxiliary boiler feed pump in a nuclear power station. The coupling would only be used in the event of a breakdown in the main boiler feed-pump system. Throughout the study, interactive 2D draughting and 3D solid modelling were used in the development of efficient, economical and fast solutions to the many problems encountered in the designs. The study also addressed the structural integrity of the critical components and the dynamic response of the assembly using 3D finite-element analyses. This was followed by the development of cutter-location source files for the machining of the critical components. The work highlights the interactive and integrated nature of the design tasks.