The emerging technology of CAD/CAM

Abstract

Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM) represents a merging of technological advances in computer hardware and software with pressing needs in manufacturing industries. Integrated manufacturing systems--from computer graphics-aided design through engineering analysis and automated fabrication--are only now beginning to fulfill nearly twenty-five-year old promises of increased production efficiency. This paper summarizes CAD/CAM's evolution and its current state and then describes some areas that will experience significant change in the next decade.