Computer Aided DesignComputer Aided Manufacture CADCAM CADCAM is

Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacture (CAD/CAM) CAD/CAM is all about designing and making using a computer. You can use CAD to draw and model your ideas in both 2 D and 3 D using a number of different programs such as Pro/DESKTOP, Google Sketch. Up and 2 D Designer. CAM will take the information from a CAD drawing and manufacture the product for you. Milling machines, Laser cutters and 3 D rapid prototyping machines will usually do this. The machines used in CAM are computer numerically controlled (CNC) meaning the CAD/CAM programme will work out all the necessary movements of the tools and send instructions to the machine as numbers. The machines onboard processor will interpret these numbers and tell the tool head where to go. CAD/CAM is an excellent way of seeing your product in 3 D without having to cut, join and assemble materials.

CAD/CAM has a number of advantage and disadvantages, the Exam will often ask you a question relating to this. It is very expensive to buy and set up CAD/CAM systems, but they do save money in the long run. CAD/CAM has lots of benefits for designers and manufacturers in many different industries. For example; • It is easy to edit and develop 2 D and 3 D images of your design ideas and view them from a number of different angles. This makes it easier to experiment with different materials and finishes also. • Designers can produce very realistic designs quickly on screen which will help the boss or client to understand when the designer is proposing. Once a design is finalised, CAD can be used to produce the final presentation drawing with all the finishes, as well as an exploded view showing all the parts of the product. • Products can be machined at high speeds, and the machine can run for 24 hours a day increasing the number of products manufactured over a short time. The CAM machines can also be used in conditions that would normally be hazardous to people, such as spray painting etc. • CAM gives a high quality finish and more reliable finish – there is no human errors likely during manufacture. • CAM allows for mass production of complicated products. Each part can be manufactured by a different machine allowing for quick assembly of the products. • Labour costs are reduced as machines are doing most of the work. • Computers can however be affected by software problems, viruses and corrupt files which could slow down production. • Because fewer workers are needed, unemployment might increase and traditional skills could be lost.

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