Computer-Aided Manufacturing reviews by real, verified users. Find unbiased ratings on user satisfaction, features, and price based on the most reviews available anywhere.
Best Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software for Small Businesses
Fusion 360 is for product designers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and machinists. It unifies design, engineering, PCB design, and manufacturing into a single platform. It allows you to connect your disconnected product development process to deliver high-quality products to market faster and positively impact your bottom line. Fusion 360 is a fully integrated CAD, CAM, PCB, and CAE software that includes generative design, 2.5, 3, 4, & 5 axis machining, and advanced simulatio
Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.
SOLIDWORKS CAM is an add-on to all versions of SOLIDWORKS CAD that lets you prepare your designs for manufacturability earlier in the development cycle. Manufacturing tasks that had to wait until a design was complete can now be performed concurrently with the design process
Learn More About Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software
What is CAM Software?
CAM software is used to automate the entire manufacturing process, doing so by generating toolpaths (a set of coordinates for the machine to follow) so the machine can turn raw material into a finished product. The software then converts these toolpaths into a readable language called the G-code, which allows the machine to follow the manufacturing path that the user created for it. Within the toolpath, the user can set machine parameters such as feed rate and machine speed. This allows the machine to withstand a long manufacturing process and not overheat or wear down.
CAM software can be used in various manufacturing processes, including milling, nesting, engraving, and roughing. These processes allow manufacturers to cut steel and form-cutting patterns at various speeds and depths. CAM software enables manufacturers to decide on precise cuts and measurements and thus achieve the desired finished product.
Key Benefits of CAM Software
- Improve machine production accuracy by generating perfect measurements within the software
- Save money by manufacturing products using computers rather than human labor
- Cut down on lead times by manufacturing more products at a faster speed
- Save raw material by having CAM software evaluate the correct amount needed to manufacture a product
Why Use CAM Software?
CAM software has greatly increased the speed and accuracy with which products are manufactured. By eliminating the need for manual operation, users can see huge benefits. Some of the main reasons for implementing CAM software include:
Save money — Instead of using manual labor to manufacture a product, users can have CAM software tell machines how to do all the work for them. This dramatically cuts down on labor costs.
Reduce errors — One of the biggest benefits of CAM software is reducing manufacturing errors. By generating a toolpath for the machine to follow during the manufacturing process, users have complete control over the accuracy of the finished product. Users can also verify the geometry of their calculations during the programming process, which allows them to identify any mistakes that were made.
Save time — By generating toolpaths within CAM software, manufacturers can produce more products at a faster rate. Eliminating the need to manually generate toolpaths increases the productivity of the entire manufacturing process. Furthermore, CAM software allows manufacturers to quickly generate prototypes so they can quickly visualize a finished product and identify if there were any mistakes in their calculations.
Improved collaboration — CAM software simplifies collaboration by having a single environment for all workers to edit and review each other’s work.
Who Uses CAM Software?
From aerospace to education, CAM software is being applied in a variety of industries that use manufacturing. These industries are reaping benefits such as increased productivity and reduced energy cost. Here are some key ways that CAM software is serving industries:
Medical — Manufacturing medical devices requires a high level of precision and detail to maintain safety and compliance regulations. Factor this in with the fact that these tools are often used to improve the overall health of the population, and you are looking at products that require the most accurate calculations. CAM software has helped the medical industry create products such as automated surgical devices and laser hand controllers. These devices are used during surgery to ensure a high level of precision that could not be achieved by the human hand.
Automotive manufacturing — Manufacturing car parts with CAM software can decrease labor costs, increase manufacturing speeds, and improve the overall safety of the vehicle. Since there are so many high-value parts in a car, each part should be manufactured with the highest level of precision. Through CAM software, each part can be tested with structural, thermal, and fatigue analysis.
CAM Software Features
CNC machining — Computer numerical control (CNC) machining is the process of setting coordinates for the machine to follow so the machine can turn raw material into a finished product. By using CNC machining within CAM software, manufacturers can increase production speed and improve the accuracy of the manufactured product. By eliminating the need to manually generate toolpaths, this increases the productivity of the manufacturing process.
Raw material management — CAM software will let the manufacturer know how much raw material is needed to manufacture a particular product. This allows the manufacturer to order the correct amount of raw material, which can save plenty of money.
Custom commands — This feature allows users to create custom commands or command aliases, change the active customization file, and configure command properties.
Toolpath simulation — Toolpath simulation allows manufacturers to see if problems occur within the CNC machining process before they actually begin manufacturing. Manufacturers can then reduce scrap parts, which saves them time and money.
Automatic feature recognition — Automatic feature recognition allows the program to recognize geometrical features such as holes and pockets in the product to be created. The software then suggests specific operations and toolpaths in order to complete the manufacturing process.
Potential Issues with CAM Software
Learning curve — A major issue that new users have when starting to use CAM software is the steep learning curve. It’s important to note that mastering this software will take quite some time, even for users who are familiar with using CAD programs.
Cost — CAM software can range anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. This can be a steep price to pay for small businesses or an individual user.
