Computer Aided Manufacturing

The revolution and changes in the operations of the industry can be contributed to the use of computers. Computer aided manufacturing is now everywhere and it is present in the form of advanced hardware and software. Most of the manufacturing is guided by the specialized softwares. Therefore it is not the hardware which is responsible for the automation of plants but also the crucial softwares.

Purpose of CAM

The use of computers to guide the working of the industrial processes is known as computer aided manufacturing or CAM. Any factory can be made highly automated by deploying real time systems and robotics. A CAM system is highly efficient because it can control the production house through different automated techniques. The purpose of CAM is to ensure that the error rate is decreased, uniformity of products is high and precision in the processes can be achieved. CAM operations is part of now almost all industries. It is helpful in removing errors from the primary manufacturing processes and can also keep track of further orders and material to be used. The automated plants have provided a hygiene and clean environment to various processes which can not be achieved fully by manual processes. For example the packaging of meat and related products is fully done by automated plants from the slaughter of the animal to the final product. This has also reduced the labor cost and other operating overheads. The processes are now fully automated that they can replace the tools and switch to the successive processes on their own.

Computer Aided Designs

Computer aided manufacturing is closely related to the computer aided design or CAD. The computer aided designs are taken to the computers, and they become the part of the automated computerized systems. The computer aided designs are converted to computer processes like tuning or drilling. The purpose of CAD and CAM is to provide help for the mass production. It can also help to facilitate the Japan’s race to just in time production. It is through this automation that Japan has become a global leader in industrial processes. The customization is possible due to the use of CAD. CAD is used to design the processes which would help in producing small batches of customized products even during mass production. This helps in meeting the needs of mass as well as individual clients. CAM saves a lot of manufacturing time other wise needed for customized production. Also the cost is same because the system does not require additional training and briefing at regular intervals about what to do and what not to do. The Cad softwares allows for quick adaptation of processes to further advancement. The machinery is designed so that it can automatically convert to perform different t operations for different orders.

Example of a CAM

The aim of replacing manual systems with the robotics was a misleading notion. However, today all the major industries in the world are using CAM and CAD technologies. For example the beverage industry, the silicone manufacturing and tannery manufacturing. These are not the only examples of CAM technology. This technology is also a part of highly labor intensive plants like the dairy plants. The cows were milked using hands. Therefore in large diary farms large numbers of men were needed to complete the job.   How ever in a CAM plant the machines can take out the milk and send it for plenty of processes ahead. This automation has increased the efficiency of the plants as it has removed the problems associated with labor like leaves, compensation plans and many more. CAM is the need of time in order to compete in international markets.