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This section will be completed with examples of specific CADCAM applications. If you have your own experience to share please send them.

Regularly CADCAM users have needs that cannot be fulfilled by standardized solutions. Needs range from a single function to a complete application. We focus here on complete applications.

Although these applications are various most of them fell in categories as follow

CAD application

Catalogs and part library

Either for the provider or the designer standard are a major concern. For the provider to offer a computerized catalog with price and choice assistance is a competitive advantage. For the designer it is a productivity factor. Catalogs may be connected to web servers using html, ActiveX and VRML files as shown in this little demo.

Aid configuration

You sell electric engines and your designs are similar. Based on a choice of parametric parts a large part of the design will be a assembly of existing parts. This may be achieved by a form driven application. The form will look like the customer order. After some computation takes place the design will be ready in minutes. Specially interesting for those who don;apos;t want to train all their staff to CADCAM subtleties.

Automated Design

Based on specific features your design can be much faster. Most parametric system offer only common features. Extended features allow the use of powerful technology like expert systems to deduct manufacturing or neighboring part dimensioning.

Cost and estimate control

Cost are strategic for all companies. Their is a heavy demand for systems based on a CAD design to compute cost. Use of databases and compatibility with parametric are appreciated.

CIM and PPS interface

Extract data from the CAD system and merge them into the general purpose database of the company is usually a challenge. Bill of Material is a very common example. Unfortunately each company has its way to produce BOM.

CAM application

Specific machining software

The need usually comes from a specific process or specific machine tool. Champion in this category are all applications involving 5 axes.

Manufacturing documents

Every company engaged in the productivity race is looking for some way to optimize both production and quality. First of all to assure the exact correspondence between the actual workshop and the NC programs generated. Correspondence must be made about availability of tools and attachments, speed and capabilities of tools etc.. At the other end many documents must be produced to come with the NC program. Some applications exists to help you to accomplish this boring task.

Automatic Machining

You uses a feature based modeler ? How is it that you can;apos;t get your milling program automatically ? Some applications exists now to get it done

CADCAM Give you a taste of what can be done apart from general solutions.