
CAD allows architects and members of the design team to make drawings in 2D or create entire 3D models using computer software. What is the relationship between CAM, CAD, and BIM?ĬAM tends to go hand-in-hand with computer aided design (CAD) and building information modelling (BIM), at least as far as its application in the construction industry goes. This G-code tells the tool how to make something by telling the motors where to move, how fast to move, and what path to follow. As an example, a 2D digital drawing can be used to guide a laser or physical cutting tool to cut cladding or other components to fit an architect’s design.Īs the Siemens definition points out, the programming language generated from the drawing or other data set that is then used to control the machine tool is referred to within the industry as the G Code. How does CAM work?Ĭomputer aided manufacturing typically uses software to translate drawings and data into detailed instructions that can drive some sort of automated tool. Manufacturers in a variety of industries depend on the capabilities of CAM to produce high-quality parts.”Ī broader and simpler definition would be: any manufacturing process that uses computer software to facilitate, assist or automate parts of the manufacturing process. Siemens says: “Computer aided manufacturing (CAM) commonly refers to the use of numerical control (NC) computer software applications to create detailed instructions (G-code) that drive computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools for manufacturing parts.

Many think we’re now on the verge of a Fourth Industrial Revolution that builds on digital innovations and incorporates elements such as automation, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing.Ĭomputer Aided Manufacturing, or CAM, is another important part of this new wave of technologies - and it’s already starting to have an impact on manufacturing, construction, and other sectors. The advent of computers and digital technologies is widely considered to have been the Third Industrial Revolution. Britain was at the forefront of the original Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th Century, and also the period of rapid industrialization dubbed the Second Industrial Revolution in the final stage of the 19th Century and the early part of the 20th – think railways, mass production, and electricity.
