WHAT IS CAM?

Just as the acronym CAD evolved from meaning “computer-aided drafting” to “computer-aided
design,” the meaning of the acronym CAM has changed from “computer-aided machining” to “computer-
aided manufacturing.” The basic premise of CAM technology is to leverage product design
information (CAD data) to drive manufacturing functions. The development of CAM technology to
automate and manage machining, tooling, and mold creation with greater speed and accuracy is intimately
linked to the development of CAD technology, which is why the term CAD/CAM is often
used as a single acronym.
The introduction of CAM systems allowed manufacturing and tooling engineers to write computer
programs to control machine tool operations such as milling and turning. These computer
numerically controlled (CNC or NC) programs contain hundreds or thousands of simple commands,
much like driving instructions, needed to move the machine tool precisely from one position to the
next. These commands are sent to the machine tool’s controller to control highly precise stepper
motors connected to the machine tool’s various axes of travel. CNC control represents a huge
improvement over the traditional method of reading a blueprint and manually adjusting the position
of a machine tool through hand cranks. The accuracy and repeatability of CNC machining has had
a permanent impact on the reliability and quality of today’s manufacturing environment.
With the development of 3D CAD solid modeling systems, the interim step of developing computer
code to control 3D CAM machining operations has been automated (see Fig. 9.2). Because the
data included in solid models represent three-dimensional shapes with complete accuracy, today’s
CAM systems can directly import 3D solid models and use them to generate the CNC computer code
required to control manufacturing operations with an extremely high degree of precision. While

manufacturers initially applied CAM technology for tooling and mass production machining operations,
its use has expanded to include other manufacturing processes such as the creation of molds
for plastic injection-molding and certain automatic (robotic) assembly operations, all directly from
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the 3D solid model.

9.2.1 The CNC Machine Tool

The CNC machine tool industry has evolved in response to the increasing sophistication of the CAM
products that are on the market. The earliest numerically controlled machines were expensive, specialpurpose
machines built by aerospace manufacturers to accurately and repeatedly machine the complex
contours of airframe components. Today, with the rapid adoption of high-end 3D CAM systems, a wide
variety of CNC milling, turning, and EDM machines have been introduced in a range of prices that
makes it possible for the smallest shop to own at least one.
Accurate, repeatable machining is not new. CAMs were added to machine tools during the Civil
War to speed weapons production. CAM-driven screw machines, also known as Swiss machines,
have accurately mass produced small fasteners and watch components since the mid-1800s.
Programmable CNC controls and high precision stepper motors have replaced CAMs on modern
machine tools making short run, close tolerance parts achievable by the typical job shop.
Three-axis CNC milling machines and two-axis lathes are now commonplace. Inexpensive rotary
tables have brought four- and five-axis machining within the reach of many shops. The advent of the
CNC Mill Turn or turning center which combines conventional live tooling milling operations with
turning operations is again revolutionizing the machining industry. Complex parts can now be completely
machined as part of a totally automated, lights-out manufacturing process.
In most modern machine shops, the CAM programmer generates the NC code on a computer away
from the shop floor. This computer is connected to one or more CNC machine tools out in the shop
via a shielded cable in the same way that you might connect a printer. Each machine tool has its own
machine controller which is usually attached directly to the machine. Most of these controllers have
proprietary designs specific to the maker of the machine tool but in some cases the controller is a commercially
available PC in a hardened cabinet. Shop-floor programming takes advantage of these hardened
terminals to allow full CAM programming right at the machine tool.
Since most CAM systems are designed to operate with many different sizes and makes of machine
tools, they utilize a machine-specific translator, or post processor, to convert the generic CAM instructions
to the low-level, machine-specific code that the machine controller can understand. In this way,
the same CAM program can be used to run several different machine tools.

9.2.2 CNC Programming

Whether the machinist is drilling a hole on a CNC milling machine or machining a complex part on
a machining center, setting up the machine to run a CAM program is essentially the same. First, the
coordinate systems of the CAM system must be accurately matched to the machine tool. This is a
one time process and most machine tools offer special verification tools to assist with this step. Then,
the operator clamps the material or stock onto the machine tool and aligns it with the machine tool
axis. If the stock is accurately represented as a solid in the CAM system, the machining process can
begin. If not, the operator can place a special probe in the machine tool and bring the probe in contact
with the stock to establish the stock dimensions.
In the language of NC code, machining a straight line is a single command, but machining a
circle requires multiple commands to tell the machine to move a small distance in X and Y, based
on the accuracy required, until the circle is complete. The CAM system automates the creation
of the NC code by using the geometry of the CAD model. To machine a circle, the CAM programmer
simply selects the proper tool and the desired depth and indicates the circle in the CAD
model he or she wants machined. The CAM system creates the complete NC tool path, from tool
selection to the thousands of small incremental steps required to machine the circle. Taking this down to the level of the machine,
many modern machine tools include circular interpolation as
a standard feature of the machine controller.

9.2.4 Getting Fancy

As the demand for higher quality, faster delivery times, and mass customization keeps accelerating,
the demand grows for faster and more accurate machining. Eliminating hand grinding, which
is both slow and imprecise, is a priority. Today’s high-speed machining (HSM) systems combine
conventional 3-axis machining with high travel speeds and small cut depth. These extreme table
speeds can impart enormous shock loads to the cutting tool and have prompted new thinking in
tool design and material selection. New CAM techniques protect the tool and the machine by looking
ahead and slowing the travel speed prior to changes in cut depth and using arcs rather than
sharp corners in the tool travel. HSM has enabled huge stamping dies, used to stamp automobile
panels, to be machined to final shape with no secondary manual grinding operations.
Five-axis machining is used to reduce part setups or speed the finishing process. Where a threeaxis
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machine can only cut what it can see from directly above the work piece, a five-axis machine
can cut from any angle not blocked by the hold-down clamps. Calculating the tool path for five-axis
operation is made more difficult by the limitations in the travel of most five-axis heads. Cutting completely
around a sphere, for example, requires the CAM code to reposition the head several times to
allow the tool to continue cutting around the surface. Machining internal surfaces requires long
shank cutters which must be precisely controlled to minimize wobble and chatter. In addition, the
extra joints required to provide five-axis movement often result in a machine tool that is less rigid
and precise than the equivalent three-axis machine.

9.2.5 Lowering the Cost of Manufacturing

Nearly every product available on store shelves is more reliable and less expensive to manufacture
today thanks to the precision and productivity of CNC machine tools. For example, plastic
injection molds are automatically manufactured from the 3D solid CAD models. Changes in the
part design can be quickly reflected in the mold and the NC toolpath changed accordingly.
Creating the CNC program to cut a highly precise mold takes hours where it once took days or
even weeks. These same cost savings are being realized with milled parts, turned parts, and sheet
metal parts.