Cat McClintock contributes to the Creo and Mathcad blogs for PTC. She has been a writer and editor for 15+ years, working for CAD, PDM, ERP, and CRM software companies. Prior to that, she edited science journals for an academic publisher and aligned optical assemblies for a medical device manufacturer. She holds degrees in Technical Journalism, Classics, and Electro-Optics. She loves talking to PTC customers and learning about the interesting work they're doing and the innovative ways they use the software.
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is generally software that can create instructions in a language (G-code) that industrial machinery understands to manufacture physical products. It’s primarily used to convert digital designs, created in computer-aided design (CAD) software, into real-world parts on computer numerical control (CNC) machinery. The following diagram shows how work flows in such a system:
While the product ideas are designed and engineered in CAD, CAM sets the coordinates, movement, speed, and cutting depth for machine tools including mills, lathes, grinder, and drills. For example, CAM software might have defined:
- A pattern of holes drilled in an engine bracket under your car’s hood
- The toolpath a laser followed to cut the material for your shoes
- The exact coordinates a router followed to carve the frame of your smartphone
Note that sometimes CAM refers to the machinery as well as the software involved in production. For the purpose of this blog, we will use the U.S. government definition, which focuses more on software. But no matter how you define it, the result is always a precise, fast, and repeatable manufacturing process.
What are the benefits of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)?
CAM is critical to modern manufacturing, and with good reason. It has revolutionized how products get made today. Companies that adopt the technology are more efficient, cost effective, and poised for growth.
Enhanced efficiency
CAM saves time and money in multiple ways:
Speed: If you’ve ever seen a CNC machine in action, you probably noticed its movements are both fast and efficient. These movements are set up by the CAM system, which optimizes toolpaths and minimizes movement digitally in the instructions it sends to the machine. That leads to both increased productivity and less wear on machines and tools.
Repeatability: Once a CAM program has been created and tested, operators can easily reuse it. So, if a company wants to put last year’s part back into production, it can leverage the same instructions that created the original part. The new parts are exact replicas of the previous run. Reusing or even slightly adapting proven designs saves companies significant setup and testing time.
Integrations: CAM systems can work directly with CAD, PLM, and CNC machines, so digital data flows without interruption, translators, or human intervention.
Labor: Machinists no longer position materials manually, set toolpaths, and guide tools by hand. It’s all automated. With CAM, skilled labor can perform higher-level tasks such as planning and optimizing workflows and overseeing quality control.
Decreased material waste
CAM can also minimize scrap. This can save companies money as well as help them meet sustainability goals.
Simulation capabilities: CAM software can use digital simulation tools to minimize waste during production. By cutting and drilling just right, the system may be able to create more parts from a single piece of material or work with less material to begin with. And because CAM creates a repeatable program, those savings are multiplied every time the program runs.
Automation: Because the process is accurate, automatic, and repeatable, fewer errors arise. That means fewer scrapped parts, and thus less waste.
Increased quality and accuracy
CAM ensures production is robust and products are of high quality. It does this in many ways:
Planning: Simulation capabilities in the software can predict production failures, such as tool collisions or material stress, before physical production begins.
Precision: Computer-controlled machines can guide tools within .01mm or smaller, ensuring minimal deviation from design specs.
Monitoring: During production, CAM systems self-monitor using measurement and feedback sensors, to provide continuous quality control.
Self-correcting: In response to monitoring, the system can also adjust machinery in real time to maintain precision, all without holding up production or requiring human intervention.
More complex machinery
Some machinery cannot be run outside of CAM systems, most notably, multi-axis milling machines. That’s because these machines require complex coordination and toolpaths to work simultaneously on multiple coordinates, something that cannot be done easily without computers.
Safety
By minimizing human involvement and digitally simulating the production process in advance, CAM systems reduce the risk of operation errors and equipment malfunctions, creating a safer, more controlled environment on the factory floor.
Scalability
Once a production program has been tested and proven reliable, it can be reused on multiple machines, so it’s easy for manufacturers to scale from prototype to mass production without compromising accuracy or quality.
What are the disadvantages of computer aided manufacturing?
While CAM has opened up many opportunities for manufacturers, companies must confront some new risks and limitations that come with the territory:
Costs
CAM systems require expensive machinery with advanced automation technology and precision controls. Furthermore, the CAM software used to program these machines can cost as much as the hardware! The good news is that some of these costs have become more manageable in recent years with the introduction of subscription pricing, which can significantly lower the barrier to entry.
Labor
To set up and maintain CAM systems, operators need knowledge that goes beyond traditional machinist skills. They must understand CAD integrations, make sense of G-code, and be familiar with more complex manufacturing methods than ever before. So while CAM reduces manual labor, it demands a workforce with highly specialized training. These specialists will cost more to find, train, and retain.
Obsolescence
Just like laptops and cell phones, CAM systems grow outdated as technology advances each year. Companies must upgrade their software or risk falling behind their competition. Even those that hang on to older systems will find it increasingly difficult and expensive to find support. This creates ongoing costs not required of traditional industrial machinery.
Cybersecurity
To be clear, CAM instructions and data are intellectual property and should be vaulted and protected as a company asset. Stolen data can lead to financial loss, production interruptions, and downtime. Companies using CAM must worry about firewalls, encryption, and cyberattacks in ways that weren’t necessary for traditional machines.
How important is CAM to the manufacturing industry?
It’s not an overstatement to say that CAM launched a third industrial revolution. It’s been adopted by most manufacturing sectors, including automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical, medical devices, and robotics. All of these industries benefit from the advantages discussed above. The results are evident everywhere you look:
Enhanced production development and optimization
Products are more sophisticated and production cycles shorter as a result of CAM. Even if you’re not involved in manufacturing, you can see the impact of CAM in everything from cars to smartphones and shoe design. CAM is often the reason more innovative products can get to market in months, rather than years. That’s because companies can use CAM to rapidly prototype new components, test them digitally, and carry out manufacturing changes instantly.
Reduced human hazard
Industry is safer overall because of CAM. With optimized automation, fewer people have to interact with moving parts or potentially hazardous materials. In fact, CAM is key to “lights out” manufacturing, an approach to production that is so automated that machines work continuously, with no humans present at all. That means minimal heavy lifting and positioning, less interaction with sharp tools, and reduced exposure to chemicals and particulates.
Advanced adaptability
Companies are more agile because of CAM too. With reusable programs and digital simulation, it’s easier for companies to retool in response to new innovations, adapt to changing industry trends, and scale up production without significant down time. This makes anyone who adopts the technology more competitive in a global market.
What is the CAD to CAM process?
The CAD to CAM process simply describes the transfer of design data into the manufacturing system. An engineer creates a digital model of a product in the CAD software. The design file may include geometry, measurements, material specifications, coordinates, and other properties necessary to describe the exact model. It can also be digitally tested, to ensure the part will hold up during manufacturing and out in the field.
Once fully prepared, the CAD file can be directly imported into the CAM software, which then uses it to define the machine processes needed to create the physical version of the model. For example, how and where should a raw piece of material be cut or drilled? CAM creates the toolpaths, sets parameters such as cutting speed and depth, and calculates the most efficient orientation for the part on the machine.
Without a fully automated CAD to CAM process, an engineer or operator might have to manually enter the CAD data into the CAM system. This can introduce errors and waste time.
How does CAM integrate with the machining processes?
As previously discussed, CAM systems work closely with CNC machines to produce physical parts. The CAM system creates toolpaths and machining parameters based on the CAD model and generates machine-specific G-code that a CNC machine understands.
Networks versus external storage
Note that the G-code is usually fed to the machine directly via a network connection, not unlike how you might send a letter to a printer. But it can also be saved to external storage and then physically transferred to the machine. This is useful where the systems aren’t networked, as well as for reuse on multiple machines.
The CNC machine then executes the program, choosing tools and performing operations as instructed.
Sensors and feedback
Modern CNC machines include sensors that can recognize potential issues such as tool wear, excess vibration, and rising temperatures. Advanced CAM systems can use this sensor data to then make adjustments to the machining instructions. The CAM system can adjust toolpaths, speed, tool changes, etc. When done in real time, this optimizes efficiency, maintains precision, and prevents downtime. The CAM system can even use sensor data to create better performance in future production runs.
Beyond G-code
While CAM is usually associated with automating machine processes, note that it can also include capabilities for planning and scheduling equipment operation, storing documentation, and managing tool libraries. Many companies also integrate their CAM systems with resource planning software to optimize material and tool availability.
As CAM systems continue to evolve, you can expect their importance to grow far beyond the CNC machine, reaching into everything from production lines to supply chains.