ABSTRACT
Every manufacturing company has a person or department who has become the proponent of CAD/CAM. This interest may often be based on a limited requirement. A parts programmer manager sees ways to increase machine tool tape throughput. A drafting manager sees hope of preparing more drawings without hiring more drafters. An industrial engineer sees promise of creating tool designs more rapidly. An engineering vice president sees a means to visualize results of design analysis programs. These individual ideas may start a company on the road to serious consideration of CAD/CAM. They may not define the basic requirements necessary for full utilization of the system or recognize the areas most important to increase productivity or reduce cost. Thus, an initial interest should be used as the basis for considering the impact of CAD/CAM on all segments of a company.
