40th International Conference on Production Engineering of Serbia
ICPES 2025
Nis, Serbia, 18-19th september 2025
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CAD AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES
Nikola Korunovic, Miloš Stojkovic, Nikola Vitkovic, Jovan Arandelovic
DOI: 10.46793/ICPES25.332K
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) evolved from its origins in late-1950s computer graphics to today’s integrated digital-manufacturing environments. Initially used for simple 2D drafting, CAD advanced in the 1960s with the advent of 3D modeling, enabling the creation of complex surfaces and driving adoption in the automotive and aerospace industries. Subsequent breakthroughs—solid, feature-based and parametric modeling—spurred market growth but also delayed uptake of newer approaches like direct modeling, partly because established users favored familiar methods and partly because newer techniques remain under refinement. In recent years, CAD innovations have been absorbed into broader frameworks such as Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and digital manufacturing, all of which leverage emerging technologies: artificial intelligence, generative design, cloud computing, real-time simulation, augmented reality and virtual reality. Drawing on both literature and extensive practitioner experience, the paper offers a concise historical overview and outlines current CAD trends
Computer-Aided Design (CAD), 3D Modeling, Parametric Design, Direct Modeling, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Generative Design, Digital Manufacturing
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