Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Computer-aided manufacturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Computer-aided manufacturing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Computer-aided manufacturing
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Integrating computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) with computer-aided design (CAD) systems produces faster and more efficient manufacturing processes. This methodology is applied in many different manufacturing areas, such as the automotive, aviation, and furniture industries.
C.A.M. is a software process that can directly convert an object (product drawing) into code so that a machine, such as a lathe or milling machine, can manufacture the product. The entire system tends to be expensive; a computer system with software may cost in excess of �10 000 GBP ($18,000 USD).
A CAM system simplifies the machining and design process in CNC manufacturing. In most cases the CAM system will work with a CAD design made in a 3D environment. The CNC programmer will then specify the machining operations and the CAM system will create the CNC program. This compatibility of CAD/CAM systems eliminates the need for redefining the work piece configuration to the CAM system."