This research will explore the applicability of object-oriented data abstractions and data-flow control methods to mechanical CAD/CAM. The integration of mechanical process and product design will be studied and, in particular, the area of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining and mechanical design. Design and manufacturing can be throught of as a series of mapplings, going from concepts to drawings to models to manufacturable models and so on. It has been practiced as a sequential series of steps. This work is an important start in moving towards Computer-Integrated Manufacturing by exploring concurrent process and product design and can be expected to identify some of the advantages and limitations of using object-oriented programming for integrating CAD and CAM.
