# CAD/CAM > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/CAD/CAM > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/CAD/CAM.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD%2FCAM > Source revision: 1343931712 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **CAD/CAM**[1] refers to the integration[2] of [computer-aided design](/source/Computer-aided_design) (CAD) and [computer-aided manufacturing](/source/Computer-aided_manufacturing) (CAM). Both of these require powerful computers. *CAD* software helps designers and draftsmen; *CAM* "reduces manpower costs" in the manufacturing process.[3] ## Overview Both *CAD* and *CAM* are computer-intensive. Although, in 1981, [Computervision](/source/Computervision) was #1 and IBM was #2, IBM had a major advantage: its systems could accommodate "eight to 20" users at a time, whereas most competitors only had enough power to accommodate "four to six."[3] *CAD/CAM* was described by *The New York Times* as a "computerized design and manufacturing process" that made its debut "when Computervision pioneered it in the 1970's."[1] Other 1980s major players in *CAD/CAM* included [General Electric](/source/General_Electric)[4] and [Parametric Technology Corporation](/source/Parametric_Technology_Corporation);[5] the latter subsequently acquired Computervision, which had been acquired by [Prime Computer](/source/Prime_Computer).[5] CAD/CAM originated in the 1960s;[6] an [IBM 360/44](/source/IBM_System/360_Model_44) was used to build via *CNC*[7][8] the wings of an airplane. ## Computer-aided design (CAD) Main article: [Computer-aided design](/source/Computer-aided_design) One goal of CAD is to allow quicker iterations in the design process;[9] another is to enable smoothly transitioning to the [CAM](#Computer-aided_manufacturing_(CAM)) stage.[10] Although manually created drawings historically facilitated "a designer's goal of displaying an idea,"[11] it did not result in a machine-readable result that could be modified and subsequently be used to directly build a prototype.[12] It can also be used to "ensure that all the separate parts of a product will fit together as intended."[citation needed] *CAD*, when linked with [simulation](/source/Simulation), can also enable bypassing building a less than satisfactory test version, resulting in having "dispensed with the costly, time-consuming task of building a prototype."[2] ## Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) Main article: [Computer-aided manufacturing](/source/Computer-aided_manufacturing) In *Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)*, using computerized specifications, a computer directs machines such as lathes and milling machines to perform work that otherwise would be controlled by a lathe or milling machine operator. This process, which is called [Numerical Control](/source/Numerical_Control) (NC OR CNC), is what came to be known as 20th century Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and it originated in the 1960s.[citation needed] Early 21st century *CAM* introduced use of *[3D printers](/source/3D_printing)*.[13] *CAM*, although it requires initial expenditures for equipment, covers this outlay with reduced labor cost and speedy transition from *CAD* to finished product, especially when the result is both timely and "ensuring one-time machining success rate."[14] ## See also - [Computer-aided technologies](/source/Computer-aided_technologies) - [CAD/CAM dentistry](/source/CAD/CAM_dentistry) - [CAD/CAM in the footwear industry](/source/CAD/CAM_in_the_footwear_industry) - [Building information modeling](/source/Building_information_modeling) (BIM) ## References 1. Eric N. Berg (March 24, 1985). ["CAD/CAM's Pioneer Bets It All"](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/24/business/cad-cam-s-pioneer-bets-it-all.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. Barnaby J. Feder (January 18, 1981). ["Bolts and Brackets by (Computer) Design"](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/18/business/bolts-and-brackets-by-computer-design.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. Robert Metz (October 28, 1981). ["A 'New' Face In CAD/CAM"](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/28/business/market-place-a-new-face-in-cad-cam.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. ["G.E.'s Expansion into CAD/CAM"](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/18/business/ge-s-expansion-into-cad-cam.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. January 18, 1981. 1. Glenn Rifkin (June 18, 1992). ["Designing Tools For the Designers"](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/18/business/market-place-designing-tools-for-the-designers.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* 1. Abedin, Engineer Zain ul (2023-11-10). ["What is CAD/CAM?"](https://mechanicalmentor.com/what-is-cad-cam). Retrieved 2023-11-19. 1. *Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series: 1969: January - June*. [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress). 1972. IBM System/360 Model 44 ... AD APT numerical control processor 1. ["360/44 for numerical control (NC)"](http://www.gao.gov/assets/400/393980.pdf) 1. ["Computer-aided design"](http://images.designworldonline.com.s3.amazonaws.com/CADhistory/8436-TM-4.pdf) 1. ["A Guide to CAD/CAM Software"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210418015433/https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/cad-cam-software-explanation/). [Thomas Register](/source/Thomas_Register). Archived from [the original](https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/custom-manufacturing-fabricating/cad-cam-software-explanation) on April 18, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2020. 1. ["CAD"](https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/intersect/article/download/117/33). [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) Student Journals. 1. ["Intelligent computer-aided design systems"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220306623) 1. T. SUPER MARIO Mikolajczyk (2019). "CAD CAM System for Manufacturing Innovative Hybrid Design". *Procedia Manufacturing*. **32**: 22–28. 12th International Conference Interdisciplinarity in Engineering, INTER-ENG 2018, 4–5 October 2018, Tirgu Mures, Romania. [doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2019.02.178](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2019.02.178). [S2CID 150280578](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:150280578) 1. ["Siemens Digital Industries Software"](https://web.archive.org/web/20201020230108/https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/global/en/our-story/customers/asm-pacific-technology/40233/). Archived from [the original](https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/global/en/our-story/customers/asm-pacific-technology/40233) on October 20, 2020. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [CAD/CAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD%2FCAM) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAD%2FCAM?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.