CAD/CAM means computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.

It is the technology
concerned with the use of digital computers to perform certain functions in design and manufacturing.

 CAD can be defined as the use of computer systems to create, modify, analyze, or optimize an
engineering design.

 CAM can be defined as the use of computer systems to plan, manage, and control the operations
of a manufacturing plant through either direct or indirect computer interface with the plant’s
production resources.
 The applications of CAM fall into two broad categories:
1. Computer monitoring and control
2. Manufacturing support applications

Computer monitoring and control: These are direct applications in which the computer is connected
directly to the manufacturing process for the purpose of monitoring or controlling the process. Computer
monitoring and control can be separated into monitoring applications and control applications.
a. Computer process monitoring: It involves a direct computer interface with the manufacturing process
to observe the process and associated equipment and collects data from the process.
b. Computer process control: It goes one step further than monitoring by not only observing the process
but also controlling it based on the observations.
Manufacturing support applications: These are indirect applications in which the computer is used in
support of the production operations in the plant, but there is no direct interface between the computer
and the manufacturing process. Here computer serves a support role in the manufacturing operations and
is used “offline” to provide plans, schedules, forecasts, instructions and information by which the firm’s
production resources can be managed more effectively.

Advantages of CAD/CAM:
For CAD:
1) More no. of alternative designs can be checked for suitability, results in better optimization of design.
2) Improves quality and accuracy of design.
3) Time required for the design is reduced drastically.
4) Modification in object or system is easier to make.
5) Eliminates the prototype testing, which is costly and time consuming.
6) Manufacturing drawing and all other details can be generated automatically.
7) Helps in bigger way for preparation of documentation.
For CAM:
1) Generates a complete tool path required for the automatic manufacturing.
2) Helps in process planning, production planning, hence reduces the manufacturing time.
3) Used for on-line automatic inspection, results in better production quality.
Limitations of CAD/CAM:
1) Cost of hardware and software is high.
2) Highly trained manpower is required.

COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING (CIM): It is the manufacturing approach of using

computers to control the entire production process.
In a CIM system functional areas such as design, analysis, planning, purchasing, cost
accounting, inventory control, and distribution are linked through the computer with factory floor
functions such as materials handling and management, providing direct control and monitoring of all the
operations.
Benefits of CIM
 CIM allows individual processes to exchange information with each other and initiate actions.
 Through the integration of computers, manufacturing can be faster and less error-prone, although
the main advantage is the ability to create automated manufacturing processes.
1. Products quality improvement.
2. Shorter time in launching new product in the market.
3. Flow time minimized.
4. Competitiveness increases.
5. Improved scheduling performance.
6. Shorter time.
7. Improved customer service.
8. Increase in flexibility and responsiveness.
9. Total cost minimized.
10. Long term profitability increases.
11. Customers lead time minimized.
12. Manufacturing productivity increases.
PRODUCT CYCLE
For the reader to appreciate the scope of CAD/CAM in the operations of a manufacturing firm,
it is appropriate to examine the various activities and functions that must be accomplished in the design
and manufacture of a product. We will refer to these activities and functions as the product cycle. A
diagram showing the various steps in the product cycle is presented in Figure. The cycle is driven by
customers and markets which demand the product. It is realistic to think of these as a large collection of
diverse industrial and consumer markets rather than one monolithic market. Depending on the particular
customer group, there will be differences in the way the product cycle is activated in some cases, the
design functions are performed by the customer and the product is manufactured by a different firm. In
other cases, design and manufacturing is accomplished by the same firm. Whatever the case, the product
cycle begins with concept, an idea for a product. This concept is cultivated, refined, analyzed, improved,
and translated into a plan for the product through the design engineering process.
The plan is documented by drafting Ii set of engineering drawings showing how the product is
made and providing a set of specifications indicating how the product should perform. Except for
engineering changes which typically follow the product throughout its life cycle, this completes the
design activities in above figure. The next activities involve the manufacture of the product.
 A process plan is formulated which specifies the sequence of production operations required to
make the product. New equipment and tools must some times be acquired to produce the new product.
Scheduling provides a plan that commits the company to the manufacture of certain quantities of the
product by certain dates. Once all of these plans are formulated, the product goes into production,
followed by quality testing, and delivery to t he customer. The impact of CAD/CAM is manifest in all of
the different activities in the product cycle, as indicated in Figure. Computer-aided design and automated
drafting are utilized in the conceptualization, design and documentation of the product. Computers are
used in process planning and scheduling to perform these functions more efficiently. Computers are used
in production to monitor and control the manufacturing operations. In quality control, computers are used
to perform inspections and performance tests on the product and its components. As illustrated in Figure,
CAD/CAM is overlaid on virtually all of the activities and functions of the product cycle.
In the design and production operations of a modem manufacturing firm, the computer has
become a pervasive, useful, and indispensable tool. It is strategically important and competitively
imperative that manufacturing firms and the people who are employed by them understand CAD/CAM

Conventional Product Cycle:

1) Product concept
2) Design
• Synthesis, Analysis & Optimization etc
3) Drafting & Documentation
4) Process Planning
• Tool Design & Procurement, Material Procurement etc
5) Production Planning
• Method, Man, Machine etc
6) Production
7) Quality Control
8) Marketing
9) Customer Feedback
CAD/CAM Assisted Product Cycle:
1) Product concept
2) Computer Aided Design
• Geometric Modeling, FEA, Simulation
3) Computer Aided Drafting & Documentation
4) Computer Aided Process Planning
• Computer Aided Tool Design & Procurement, Material Procurement
5) Computer Assisted Production Planning
6) Computer Aided Manufacturing
• CNC Machines, Computer Controlled Robots, Material Handling Equipments etc
7) Computer Aided Quality Control
8) Marketing
9) Computer Assisted Customer Feedback

Tools of CAD/CAM

AutoCAD (CAD)
 Computer Aided Design or Computer Aided Drafting
 For 2D and 3D design and drafting, developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. in 1982
 Earlier primitive entities used such as lines, polylines, circles, arcs, and text
 But now it has solid modeling and 3D tools
 Has supported custom objects through its C++ API
 Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for customization and automation
 Include AutoLISP, Visual LISP, VBA, .NET and ObjectARX
CATIA (CAD/CAM/CAE):
 Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application
 By the French company Dassault’s Systems
 Created in the late 1970s and early 1980s to develop Dassault's Mirage fighter jet
 Adopted in the Aerospace, automotive , shipbuilding, and other industries

CATIA
 Modules of CATIA
 Product Structure
 Part Design
 Assembly Design
 Sketcher
 Drafting (Interactive and Generative)
 Wireframe and Surface
 Freestyle Shaper
 Digital Shape Editor
 Knowledge ware
 Photo Studio
 4D Navigator (including kinematics)
 Manufacturing
 Finite Element Analysis

Pro/ENGINEER (CAD/CAM/CAE):
 Is a parametric, integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE solution created by Parametric Technology
Corporation (PTC).
 First to market with parametric, feature- based, associative solid modeling software on the market
  Solid modeling, assembly modeling and drafting, finite element analysis, and NC and tooling
functionality for mechanical engineers

SIEMENS NX (CAD/CAM/CAE):
 NX is the commercial CAD/CAM/CAE PLM software suite developed by Siemens PLM
Software.
 Used in the engineering industry, especially in the automotive and aerospace sectors.
 NX is a parametric solid / surface feature-based modeler
 Uses the Para solid geometric modeling kernel.
SOLID EDGE (CAD/CAE):
 Intergraph in 1996 using the ACIS geometric modeling kernel it later changed to using the Para
solid kernel
 In 1998 it was purchased and further developed by UGS Corp
 In 2007, UGS was acquired by the Automation & Drives Division of Siemens AG
 Solid Edge is 3D CAD parametric feature solid modeling software
 Provides solid modeling, assembly modeling and drafting functionality for mechanical engineers
 It has links to many other Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technologies
SOLID WORKS (CAD/CAE):
 Developed by Dassault’s Systems Solid Works Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault’s Systems, S. A.
(Vélizy, France).
INVENTOR (CAD/CAE):
 Autodesk Inventor is a CAD software application for 3D mechanical design, product
 Simulation, tooling creation, and design communication, developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. in
1999.
MASTERCAM (CAD/CAM):
 Founded in Massachusetts in 1983, CNC Software, Inc
 Let machinists design virtual parts on a computer screen and also guided computer numerical
controlled (CNC) machine tools in the manufacture of parts
 It has set of predefined tool paths—
 including contour, drill, pocketing, face, peel
 mill, engraving, surface high speed, advanced multi- axis, and
 many more—enable machinists to cut parts efficiently and accurately
Hypermesh (CAD/CAE)
 Introduced by Altair Corporation
 Generally modeling, for meshing the CAD model and analysis of CAD model
 Have solver as Optistruct and RADIOSS

ANSYS (CAE):
 General-purpose finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics software
 Best known for its ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS Multi physics products
 Including static/dynamic structural analysis (both linear and non-linear), heat transfer and fluid
problems, as well as acoustic and electro-magnetic problems.
 CFX computational fluid dynamics and Fluent for CFD
 Electronic design automation (EDA) software for to simulate high-performance electronics
designs found in mobile communication and Internet devices, broadband networking components
and systems, integrated circuits, printed circuit boards
SIMULIA (ABAQUS):
 Developed by HKS Inc of Rhode Island, USA
 Consists of three core products: Abaqus/Standard, Abaqus/Explicit and Abaqus/CAE.
Abaqus/Standard

CAD Standards
When working as a project team, communication is key. In the CAD world, our deliverable is
how we communicate the what, where, and how. The quality and the profitability of our projects are
determined by the accuracy of that communication. CAD Standards ensure we are all speaking the
same language.

1. General Information – Contacts, version

2. File Storage & Transfer – When & where files are backed up, where to find backed up files, how to
handle final versions of files.
3. File Naming & Drawing Organization – Directory structure for saving drawings and file naming
structure
4. New Drawings & Outside Drawings – how to send drawings to outside sources and how to handle
incoming drawings
5. Titleblocks – Which titleblocks to use for which size and types of drawings.
6. Text Heights, Styles, & Dimensioning – All specifics of text and dimensioning
7. Details – Layers, scales and using details in drawing set
8. Hatches – Specific hatch patterns to be used with descriptions
9. Plotting – Plotting sizes, pen settings
10. Miscellaneous – Other information such as tips and tricks, how to send plots to service agency.