Computer Aided Manufacturing Explained for Beginners | #ManufacturingMonday
Manufacturing Lounge have a good primer blog on CAM – Computer Aided Manufacturing – that explains the history of CAM, how CAD becomes CAM, the introduction of CNC machining and how the role of machinist has transformed over the years with increased automation and digitization of the tools at hand. It’s a good read:
In a world full of physical stuff – whether that’s products, parts, or places – Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) makes it all possible. We’re the ones that give the power of flight to airplanes, or the rumble of horsepower to automobiles. When you need something made, not just designed, CAM is your answer. What happens behind the scenes? Keep reading and you’ll find out.
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is the use of software and computer-controlled machinery to automate a manufacturing process.
Based on that definition, you need three components for a CAM system to function:
- Software that tells a machine how to make a product by generating toolpaths.
- Machinery that can turn raw material into a finished product.
- Post Processing that converts toolpaths into a language machines can understand.
These three components are glued together with tons of human labor and skill. As an industry we’ve spent years building and refining the best manufacturing machinery around. Today, there’s no design too tough for any capable machinist shop to handle.
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