RESEARCH IS DESCRIBED AIMED AT ADVANCING MODERN PRACTICES WHEN BUILDING MANUFACTURING MACHINES. A CAE APPROACH IS PRESENTED BASED ON GRAPHICAL SIMULATION OF THE OPERATION OF MACHINES BUILT FROM MODULAR MECHANICAL BUILDING ELEMENTS. HERE A SET OF COMPUTER CONFIGURATION TOOLS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED TO SELECT AND PARAMETERISE LIBRARY PRIMITIVES AND THEIR KINEMATIC RELATIONSHIPS. THE TOOLS ALSO ENABLE TASK PROGRAMMING AND EVALUATION THROUGH ANIMATION OF THE MACHINE STRUCTURES DESIGNED. WHEN PROOF OF CONCEPT DESIGNS HAVE BEEN VERIFIED AND TASK PROGRAMS PROVEN, OFF-LINE PROGRAMMING OF THE ACTUAL MACHINE CAN BE ENABLED BY THE USE OF COMMON SIMULATION AND REAL TIME CONTROL DATA MODELS.