CAD/CAM and DNC links as a strategy for manufacture: implications for CAPM

Owing to international competition, an increased emphasis placed on the role of manufacturing, as companies will only remain competitive if their manufacturing systems are developed to satisfy business and marketing needs. The authors consider the role of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) within a direct numerical control system, which has been successfully installed via a local area network as a strategy for manufacture. The transfer of data between CAD/CAM and computer-aided production management (CAPM) systems and the necessary enhancement of CAPM to provide strategic advantages are examined, and the implications for future CAPM software design considered