CAD CAM Advantages and Disadvantages Adv & Disadv of CAD CAM | Page 3

Advantage: Software Flexibility
Using CAD software enables design changes to be made rapidly. Before
CAD, a particular design change would have required a draftsperson
to completely redraw the design to the new specification. CAD software
allows designers to tinker with designs and make small changes on
the fly. It can also be used to simulate the behavior of the design in
software. For example, CAD software can be used to simulate the
airflow around an engine. This allows for greater flexibility in the
software design process.
Advantage: Design Flexibility
Another term for CAM is rapid prototyping. Rapid prototyping allows
designers to construct physical prototypes during the design process.
These physical prototypes can be used to test various aspects of the
design. For example, if the goal is to design a steel object, then a
prototype can be made out of transparent acrylic. The transparency of
the acrylic prototype allows designers to view the pattern of stresses
and strains within the object. This allows for greater flexibility in the
physical design and prototyping process.
Advantage: Automatic Specification Checking
Using CAD software enables the designer to automatically check if the
design is within specification. CAD software also enables clients to view
designs at an earlier stage in the design process than is usually the
case. CAM also enables clients to check the progress of functional and