The answer has got to be an emphatic no!

If you just look at a CAM system’s graphics, it is true that the toolpaths can look similar, but the big difference is what happens when you actually try to cut metal and use the system as part of your daily routine.

Stories abound of companies continually editing programs, suffering from tool breakage, producing poor surface finishes, putting up with long cycle times and extended programming times, and having difficulty programming certain types of component. A good CAM system overcomes all these problems, changing CNC programming from a drama into a safe and fool-proof process.

The other factors to look at, when trying to distinguish one CAM system from another, is what the systems will actually do and how easy they are to use. The system needs to be able to cope with all the types of work your company does, so CAD data translation might be the first hurdle, then it could be 5-axis or 3+2 axis machining, feature recognition when there are a lot of holes or pockets, high-speed machining of molds, or even specialist applications such as dental prosthesis manufacture.

“Ease of use” is a major factor for any CAM system, because if it is difficult to program, not only will it take a lot longer to produce CNC code, but it will reduce the number of people able to handle it. The ability to have more people producing CNC code makes better use of available skills and minimizes the possibility of a programming bottleneck. Are all CAM systems the same in terms of reliability? Certainly not….

So overall, don’t be fooled by fancy graphics and promises, try the system out on your work and machine tools to see what really happens when you press the start button. So, do you believe that there is little difference from one CAM system to the next? Let us have your comments or share your experiences!