{"id":48150,"date":"2024-04-04T15:15:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T14:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manufacturing-today.com\/?p=48150"},"modified":"2024-04-04T15:15:52","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T14:15:52","slug":"ai-in-cad-cam-what-it-means-for-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manufacturing-today.com\/news\/ai-in-cad-cam-what-it-means-for-manufacturing\/","title":{"rendered":"AI in CAD\/CAM: what it means for manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the 1960s, when General Electric became one of the first big corporations to offshore its production to countries where it would cost less to carry out, we\u2019ve been living in a global manufacturing system.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But today, that system is under more strain than at any time over the last 50 years. Global supply chains are breaking down – pressured by factors like Covid, the Ukraine crisis, and shortages of raw materials and energy.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Labor is also a huge factor. With domestic manufacturing in developed countries like the UK in decline because of global competition, young workers have become less likely to seek a career in the sector – resulting in an ongoing skills gap, which has become a full-blown crisis.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Global demand for manufactured goods is set to rise – but as things stand, the sector isn\u2019t able to meet it. The potential result: a multi-billion-dollar output gap that stymies global economic development and growth.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So – what\u2019s the solution?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Theo
Theo Saville<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Technology to the rescue<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

For answers, policymakers will naturally look at the big picture: protection measures like trade barriers, tax incentives and talent development schemes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, these cure the symptoms of the disease, not the cause. Instead, we need to use technology to enable manufacturing to be faster and more efficient so it can be part of the solution, not the problem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By using new solutions, we can bring down production costs and improve efficiency, enabling domestic companies to compete. For example, manufacturers globally are now starting to use AI to accelerate CAD CAM programming, enabling them to precision machine components far more efficiently than ever before, without scaling headcounts.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Precision machining is the mechanism for creating the metal components the world needs to function. But a CNC machine, where those parts are made, isn\u2019t easy to use, even for a skilled machinist: a simple component can be made in billions of possible ways, and if the machine is programmed non-optimally then the manufacturer wastes time and materials.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AI changes all that. By using algorithms to eliminate inefficiencies and work out the most efficient solutions, you can accelerate machining with AI, saving manufacturers hundreds of production hours a year in programming and estimating time.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Companies using this software are already reaping the rewards:\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n