Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing. Designs made through CAD software help protect products and inventions when used in patent applications. CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations. The terms computer-aided drafting (CAD) and computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) are also used.
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) also known as computer-aided modeling or computer-aided machining is the use of software to control machine tools in the manufacturing of work pieces. This is not the only definition for CAM, but it is the most common. It may also refer to the use of a computer to assist in all operations of a manufacturing plant, including planning, management, transportation and storage. Its primary purpose is to create a faster production process and components and tooling with more precise dimensions and material consistency, which in some cases, uses only the required amount of raw material, while simultaneously reducing energy consumption. CAM is now a system used in schools and lower educational purposes. CAM is a subsequent computer-aided process after computer-aided design (CAD) and sometimes computer-aided engineering (CAE), as the model generated in CAD and verified in CAE can be input into CAM software, which then controls the machine tool. CAM is used in many schools alongside CAD to create objects.
Mastercam is a suite of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and CAD/CAM software applications developed by CNC Software, LLC. Founded in Massachusetts in 1983, CNC Software are headquartered in Tolland, Connecticut.
G-code is the most widely used computer numerical control (CNC) and 3D printing programming language. It is used mainly in computer-aided manufacturing to control automated machine tools, as well as for 3D-printer slicer applications. The G stands for geometry. G-code has many variants.
CAD/CAM refers to the integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). Both of these require powerful computers. CAD software helps designers and draftsmen; CAM "reduces manpower costs" in the manufacturing process.
Delcam is a supplier of advanced CAD/CAM software for the manufacturing industry. The company has grown steadily since being founded formally in 1977, after initial development work at Cambridge University, UK. It is now a global developer of product design and manufacturing software, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in North America, South America, Europe and Asia with a total staff of over 800 people and local support provided from over 300 re-seller offices worldwide. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until 6 February 2014, when it was acquired by Autodesk. It now operates as a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Autodesk.
Vero Software is a company based in Cheltenham, England, that specialises in CAD CAM.
Surfware, Inc. is a Camarillo, CA-based company involved in the development of CAD/CAM software.
STEP-NC is a machine tool control language that extends the ISO 10303 STEP standards with the machining model in ISO 14649, adding geometric dimension and tolerance data for inspection, and the STEP PDM model for integration into the wider enterprise. The combined result has been standardized as ISO 10303-238.
Cimatron is an Israeli software company that produces CAD/CAM software for manufacturing, toolmaking and CNC programming applications.
Multiaxis machining is a manufacturing process that involves tools that move in 4 or more directions and are used to manufacture parts out of metal or other materials by milling away excess material, by water jet cutting or by laser cutting. This type of machining was originally performed mechanically on large complex machines. These machines operated on 4, 5, 6, and even 12 axes which were controlled individually via levers that rested on cam plates. The cam plates offered the ability to control the tooling device, the table in which the part is secured, as well as rotating the tooling or part within the machine. Due to the machines size and complexity it took extensive amounts of time to set them up for production. Once computer numerically controlled machining was introduced it provided a faster, more efficient method for machining complex parts.
Sescoi is a developer of industrial software for computer-aided manufacturing, enterprise resource planning and extended enterprise productivity. Its WorkNC software is one of the market leaders in the CAD/CAM field and is used by more than 25% of companies in demanding countries such as Japan. Sescoi also develops WorkPLAN, a range of ERP software products for custom manufacturers and project based companies. As of 2011 Sescoi had more than 5000 customers and 11000 licenses sold worldwide. Sescoi and its products were acquired by Vero Software in January 2013.
WorkPLAN is a range of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software products developed by Sescoi for custom manufacturers or departments who work project-based and need specialized ERP software for project management.
WorkNC is a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software developed by Sescoi for multi-axis machining.
SprutCAM X is a high-level Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software that provides off-line features for programming of various CNC machines used for cutting, wire electrical discharge (EDM), 2, 3, and multi axial machining.
SmartCAM is a suite of Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and CAD/CAM software applications that uses toolpath modeling to assist CNC machinists in creating computer-numerically controlled (CNC) programs that direct CNC machine tools.
PowerMill is a 3D CAM solution that runs on Microsoft Windows for the programming of toolpaths for 5-axis CNC milling machines developed by Autodesk Inc. The software is used in a range of different engineering industries to determine optimal tool paths to reduce time and manufacturing costs as well as reduce tool loads and produce smooth surface finishes. More than 15,000 organisations use PowerMILL worldwide.
The history of numerical control (NC) began when the automation of machine tools first incorporated concepts of abstractly programmable logic, and it continues today with the ongoing evolution of computer numerical control (CNC) technology.
Vericut, is a software program used for simulating CNC machining. It is used to simulate tool motion and the material removal process, detecting errors or areas of inefficiency in NC programs. It was developed by CGTech Inc. and first released in 1988.
NCSIMUL is a software program developed by the company SPRING Technologies, that is used for simulating, verifying, and optimizing CNC machining in a 3-step process. It reads the post-processed G-code to identify the tool path, and replicates the material removal process of the machine by cutting volumes. It then identifies all syntax errors in the code, crashes in the machining environment, and deviations from the modeled CAD part.
