As technology evolved and was adapted to metalworking, various software packages appeared to operate some of the most common machine tools on the market. These include, for example, CAD and CAM software. The first stands for computer-aided design, while CAM refers to computer-aided manufacturing.
CAD and CAM software
They are not the same, but the two programs are closely linked in production processes. One cannot exist without the other. CAD is used to create designs on the computer, and CAM software to produce them on the machine tools used in the metalworking industry.
Both programs are used to design products on a computer and then program the machines to manufacture what has been designed. They are generally used for machining parts on CNC machines. Examples include CNC lathes.
How does CAM software work?
For CAM software to work, CAD must first be used to design a series of models or patterns on the computer. Once these designs have been processed, CAM can create toolpaths for machining the parts according to the CAD design. In this way, CAM turns what has been created in CAD on a computer into a physical object.
The CAD/CAM combination is used to design and manufacture prototypes and finished parts, as well as the production processes for various parts. It covers graphic design and the databases needed for design on the one hand, and numerically controlled manufacturing on the other. Initially, the two programs worked separately. While CAD has always run on computers, CAM was semi-automatic and independent of CAD, and only recently have the two technologies merged to the point that they are now regarded as a single discipline.
Uses and applications of CAM
CAM software can perform many tasks for machining parts. For example, it can be used for CNC programming and for running the programs on machine tools equipped with this technology. CAM can also carry out quality control and inspection in production systems and process data for metalworking operations (forming, rolling, etc.).
In addition, CAM can design and produce casting moulds, tools and electrodes, and plan and schedule all the processes to be run on a machine with CAM software installed.
Benefits of CAM software
CAM software offers many benefits in the metalworking industry, although it is not the only industry where it is used. It is so versatile that it also has applications in robotics, for example. To begin with, applying CAM in production systems speeds up certain machines on which it is used, such as lathes and milling machines.
CAM can create and fine-tune numerical control programs so that machining is effective, fast and of high quality. Parts machined on machines running CAM are much more precise, because before machining they are modelled on the computer in CAD and the machining is then executed by CAM. As a result, there is less room for error and the results are of higher quality than when done by hand.
Moreover, machine tools that use CAM manage waste more efficiently, so less material is wasted during machining than on a manual machine. This also translates into energy savings.
CAM software is one of the most modern technological resources a machine shop can have. It not only speeds up production processes, but can also verify that the results are of high quality, while saving labour and time. As far as labour is concerned, CAM requires little operator intervention, which helps cut staff costs. As for the operators themselves, CAM helps considerably reduce occupational risks, because the operator does not have to intervene in operating the machine (manual operation).
Operating CNC machines equipped with CAM requires staff with expertise in the field. There are now many courses and training programmes for technicians specialising in CAD and CAM and in applying these programs to the machine tools that use them. Anyone who is going to work with these machines will need training in design, digital project drafting and machining systems using programs such as AutoCAD.