Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) is an automation process that directly converts the product drawing or the object into the code design enabling the machine to manufacture the product. CAM is used in various machines like a lathes or milling machines for product manufacturing purposes.

It allows the computer work instructions to communicate directly to the manufacturing machines. In the early 1950’s, the technology evolved from the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. Those were directed by a set of coded instructions in a punched paper tape. Now single computer with the CAM controlled computer system can control the entire process performed by robotic milling machines, lathes, welding machines and other various tools. It moves the product to various machines within the system by allowing each step to get completed during the manufacturing process.

The CAM system is used in various applications like lathes, welding machines and many milling machines. The major applications that are performed using the CAM system are wood turning, metal working, metal spinning and glass working. The applications of this system are also used in producing the solids of rotation, plane surfaces, and screw threads or helices.

Three dimensional solids can be manufactured by using the ornamental lathes with more complexity. The CAM systems are used in manufacturing the objects on the lathe includes candlestick holders, table legs, bowls, baseball bats, crankshafts and camshafts. Diamond turning is one of the processes that are performed using the CNC lathe systems in manufacturing diamond-tipped cutting materials. High-quality aspheric optical elements are manufactured from glass, crystals, metals, acrylic and other various materials. Other major application of the CAM system is the robotic milling machines.

CAM systems offer a wide range of applications in areas like mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and aerospace engineering. A few of the applications that are used in the mechanical engineering area are thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, kinematics, and robotics. The major applications in the electrical engineering are electricity, electromagnetism and electronics. Ergonomics, quality engineering and operations research are few applications in the industrial engineering. The major applications in aerospace engineering are aerodynamics, propulsion, materials science, and aero elasticity.