CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) are fundamental to the wider development process when seeking to bring a product from its conception to the manufacturing stage. The partnership between the two can be likened to that of Simon and Garfunkel or Cliff Richard and The Shadows. So, to put it simply, if you are looking to bring a highly engineered product into mass production, you couldn’t imagine one without the other.
But, like any good partnership, each has its own particular role to play. CAD is the 2D or 3D model produced by design engineers using computer aided design (CAD) software such as PTC’s Creo, Dassault Systèmes’ Solidworks, and Autodesk’s Inventor. The CAD model is where the design, functionality, and properties are held and maintained.
CAM is the process by which the CAD design is loaded and transferred, by more software, to the CNC (computer numerical control) machinery in order to produce the engineered components. The CNC machinery utilised to achieve this goal can range from routers, lathes, milling machines, and 3D printers. The main benefit of CAM is its speed and accuracy. The incredibly small chance of any error in the final product helps with boosting efficiency, reducing waste, energy, and associated costs.
Of course there is a massive set-up cost for those businesses wishing to start off in this area, both in terms of buying, installing, and maintaining the hardware and software products. But if you require an automated production process that can produce items with a high degree of accuracy and precision used in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, then this is the way to go. It’s most definitely not as simple as ABC, but it makes it far easier to design and test a range of ideas and materials before embarking on production.
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