Computer-aided manufacture, or CAM, is the use of a computer to control all or part of a manufacturing process.

Some examples of CAM include the production of printed circuit boards, car manufacture, pattern cutting for clothing manufacture and making postage stamps.

Very often a CAM process follows directly on from a CAD process, in such cases the complete design and manufacture process is called CAD/CAM.

The main advantage of this approach is that the CAD design can be used to generate the program which will control the manufacturing process.

The advantages of CAM systems are:-

• Products can be made very accurately and consistently;
• Around the clock production is much cheaper;
• A product's design can be modified without the need to bring production to a complete standstill;
• Waste can be kept to a minimum.