Enabling students for acquiring basic knowledge on the design process and its automation by applying contemporary software tools.

Acquired knowledge is used as a base for the application in professional courses oriented towards developing and designing machines and devices.

Introduction. Application of computers in mechanical engineering industry. Fundamentals in product development Significance and advantages of computer-aided design. Problems and real possibilities. Fundamentals in theory of design (conceptual design, construction and construction elaboration). Contemporary software systems. Systematization of technical components (CAD hardware). Organization and equipment in a designer`s working place. Automation of the design procedure. Fundamentals in computer graphics and geometric modelling. Introduction to engineering analysis. Automation of calculations in mechanical engineering by applying the programmes MATLAB and MATCAD. Fundamental principles in forming a virtual machine prototype on a computer (Virtual prototyping). Automated elaboration of technical documentation. Systematization of software support. Survey and basic properties of licensed software for the automation of the design procedure ( Autodesk Inventor, CATIA V5). Examples of designing elements, joints, machines and mechanical systems.

Lectures and computer practice. During the teaching process, students have a possibility, on passing two partial examinations, to be excluded from the written part of the examination. Prerequisite for taking the final examination is successfully completed and defended two project tasks and one subject project. Final examination is related to the theoretical questions.