CAD / CAM
What Is CAD / CAM?
CAD / CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing) is a term that refers to computer systems that are used to both design and manufacture products.
While CAD is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design documentation, CAD / CAM systems are used both for designing a product and for controlling manufacturing processes. The geometries in the CAD drawing are used by the CAM portion of the program to control a machine that creates the exact shape that was drawn. CAD / CAM software is most often used for product development, machine-tooling, and manufacturing.
Since the introduction of Autodesk® AutoCAD® software in 1982, Autodesk has been a leader in the development of CAD design software.
CAM Tools Through ADN
The CAM Industry is an important part of the manufacturing market, and Autodesk has partnered with the leading players to provide customers access to the tools they need. AutoCAD is fully interoperable with manufacturing products such as: EdgeCAM or InventorCAM, GibbsCAM and MasterCAM.
The Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) offers a variety of CAM tools that work with AutoCAD and Autodesk® Inventor® 3D CAD software. With more than 1,000 partners for AutoCAD alone, ADN offers a full range of manufacturing partnered products.
Autodesk Inventor software is a useful tool to help with your CAD / CAM projects. It provides a comprehensive set of 3D modeling and mechanical design tools for producing, validating, and documenting complete digital prototypes. The Inventor model is a 3D digital prototype that helps you visualize, simulate, and analyze how a design will work under real-world conditions before a product or part is ever built—helping manufacturers get to market faster with fewer physical prototypes and more innovative products.
Digital Prototyping
Digital Prototyping is an approach to product development that lets you design, visualize, and simulate products rapidly and cost-effectively. It is the latest technology behind an evolving field in CAD / CAM processes. The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping gives you the tools you need to help simplify your product development workflow, from concept to manufacture, and marketing through maintenance. Grow revenue, spur innovation, and deliver quality products faster than ever by using Digital Prototyping to:
- Create more innovative concepts and engineer more accurate digital prototypes
- Perform simulations on digital prototypes to optimize designs
- Streamline documentation, data management, and collaboration
- Develop compelling, realistic visualizations to experience products before they’re real
Learn More About Digital Prototyping
