Computer-Aided Design (CAD) vs Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM): what is the difference?

The terms CAD and CAM are often mentioned when talking about product development and product design. But what do they both mean?

We’ve looked at the two terms, to establish what they mean and how each process is used.

What is the difference between CAD and CAM?

Computer-aided design (CAD) is a process used to design components in a virtual environment and typically appears on a computer as 3D models and 2D drawings. These models can usually be altered on screen by changing different parameters, enabling designers to view objects in various ways. These models are now frequently used instead of hand-drawn technical drawings. In comparison, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the process in which these computer-aided designs and models are then manufactured by a system that controls automated machinery. This is important to understand if you’re wondering what you need to know about certain manufacturing processes like steel rule die cutting, for example.

Modeling with CAD systems offers several advantages over traditional methods For example, designs can be altered easily without having to erase or redraw anything. This saves time and is a lot easier for designers of a product if iterations need to be made. Especially in sensitive manufacturing that requires exact specifications, such as aerospace precision machining, the use of CAD can be extremely helpful in accurate designs.

CAD systems also offer “zoom” features analogous to a camera lens, whereby a designer can magnify certain elements of a model to allow for deeper inspection of a component. This combined with 3D computer models helps to give designers and their clients a fuller sense of a product. CAD systems also offer the ability to create modeling cutaway drawings, in which the internal shape of a part is revealed and designers can more effectively show the spatial relationships among different parts.

Features such as the ones mentioned above could play a major role in the likelihood of product success in the market from a sales perspective. Features and offerings of a product may be designed and planned by analyzing people’s preferences and attitudes toward it. These could be categorized into must-haves, performance features, and delighters of a product among others. An example of assisted designing of a product can be made by looking at Conjointly’s Kano Model Tool which may statistically help find out what might make the product sell more and be a success among its consumers. This could be looked at as a form of market analysis as well as computer-assisted designing method.

The conceptual overlap between the design and manufacture of CAD and CAM is the reason they are generally considered together as a system. Whilst the design and manufacturing processes are conceptually separable, these two terms are often used in conjunction with each other because they are combined to provide a full process of design to manufacturing. In order to use CAM, one must first use CAD to design a product and create a model.