CAM
CAM stands for Computer-aided manufacturing which is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of workpieces. Therefore, effectively it is the computer aided step after CAD and is best used to fabricate 3D pieces.
Commonly used machines for CAD:
Schools commonly use:
Below is a photograph displaying the difference between Computer aided design and Computer aided manufacture
Commonly used machines for CAD:
- CNC machines (Mill and Lathe)
- Laser Cutter
- Etching machine
- Rapid prototyping
- Roland Camm1
- Router
- Milling machines
Schools commonly use:
- Laser cutter
- Rouland Camm1
- Milling/Router machines
Below is a photograph displaying the difference between Computer aided design and Computer aided manufacture
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When using CAM machines there are certain common concepts and principles that can be transferable as skills when using each CAM machine.
The following pointers state these common concepts and principles in schools with CAM machines:
On the milling machines the similarites are as follows :
When using CAM machines there are certain common concepts and principles that can be transferable as skills when using each CAM machine.
The following pointers state these common concepts and principles in schools with CAM machines:
- Each machine will recognise a 2D and 3D drawing - (Part drawings)
- With all of the machines they will recognise when you assign a colour to determine a certain depth- Personal experience- Using the Laser Cutter in my systems and control unit I set the cut lines as the colour Black and the engraving lines as Red.
- STL files (stereolithography file) will open on the all machines
- The machines convert drawings into a detailed series of X, Y and Z coordinates
- When the design is run through simulation software the computer displays the manufacturing on the screen. It also checks whether or not the design can be manufactured successfully. Apart from on machines like the Laser cutter or the Roland.
- They are generally fast and accurate as the purpose of the machine is to create fast production process and components and tooling with more precise dimension and material consistency which in some cases, uses only the required amount of raw material thus minimum waste while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.
- Generally speaking most machines can work with Wood, Metal and Plastic yet this is dependent on the thickness of the material and Plastic is a bit more limited apart from when using it with the Laser cutter for example.
- You can duplicate your designs and mash produce- Similar to CAD
- The machine does pretty much all of the work for you - all you need to do is set it up correctly and wait for the finish product
- If mass producing a product each product will be created exactly the same size and dimensions - accuracy
- Reduces the design process - Similar to CAD
On the milling machines the similarites are as follows :
- The mills are changeable
- 4MM mill will cut the material and the other mill will engrave
- 4MM is sharp all the way round whereas engraving comes down to a point
- Mills often create jagged profiles called stepping - however the smaller mills will create smaller steps
- 2- takes longer to step over
- The smaller the mill the longer it till take
With every process in Design and Technology there will always be common misconceptions. The next few bullet points state the most common misconceptions within schools for Computer aided manufacture regarding the machines themselves and universal or general misconceptions.
- Although the machines generally speed up the design process if a student sets the machine up incorrectly it can create more time trying to fix damage
- Forgetting to turn the extraction and compressor on can cause huge damage and costs - especially with machines like the Laser Cutter
- Machines do wear and tear and therefore if a tool is not sharp then the results will not be as good - Students would need to alert the teacher or technician
- Some students become reliant on CAM machines and CAD technology therefore there is lack of knowledge when it comes down to using manual tools such as the Centre lathe.
- Some students do not know 3D objects can not be fabricated using a laser cutter - you can create 2D objects and fix it together to be a 3D piece not a 3D piece alone
- When using the laser cutter if the standard colours on 2D design are not used then the machine will not recognise it and therefore will not create the work. - These are called Hatch Tags
- Some students may transfer files from other Computer aided design software for example Illustrator and therefore the machine will not recognise it -Personal experience- For systems and control I was exploring and experimenting around with an initial idea, and the work did not print because I had transferred it from adobe Illustrator - It took me at least a few days to figure out that this was the actual problem.
- The machines and software combined can often be complex as a result some students are not able to grasp the best understanding for its usages due to various learning capabilities