Manufacturing & engineering
CAM
Computer-aided manufacturing
Definition
CAM is software that turns CAD geometry into toolpaths and machine instructions, such as G-code for a CNC mill or lathe. It needs clean solid geometry, and it is where problems like unreachable corners and missing tool clearance show up.
Also known as: computer-aided manufacturing, toolpaths, CNC programming
Updated
From model to machine#
A CAM programmer chooses tools, feeds, speeds, and strategies for each feature. The software calculates toolpaths and simulates them, then a post-processor writes machine code. The LinuxCNC G-code reference shows the basic commands, such as G0 for rapid moves and G1 for moves at feed rate.
CAM is increasingly built into CAD. Onshape's CAM Studio, for example, versions machining strategies alongside the CAD model. CAM needs exact geometry, so mesh models are a poor starting point for machined parts.
Sources
Related terms
DFM
DFM is the practice of shaping a part so it can be made reliably and economically with the intended process. It covers choices such as wall thickness, draft, tool access, bend radii, hole sizes, and tolerances the supplier can actually hold.
B-Rep
B-Rep is the way professional CAD kernels describe a solid: by its boundary, made of exact surfaces (faces), the curves where they meet (edges), and the points where edges end (vertices). Because the geometry is exact and the topology is explicit, B-Rep models can be measured, filleted, dimensioned, and manufactured precisely.
STEP
STEP is the ISO 10303 family of standards for exchanging 3D product data between CAD systems, usually saved as .step or .stp files. A STEP file carries exact B-Rep solid geometry that another CAD program can measure and edit, but it normally does not carry the original feature history.