3D CAD, CAM and Rapid Prototyping Applied for Cam Fabrication

In this paper, a comparison between CNC manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping technology (FDM – Fused Deposition Modeling process), applied for a cam fabrication, is presented. In the products development area, a substantial support is offered by models, as intermediate between product configuration and technology design. The CAD/CAM/CNC technology is a widely used technique for creating prototypes, as well as production parts, using a subtractive type material-removal procedure from a semi-manufactured article. The rapid prototyping (RP) technologies are additive processes, where the part is built up layer by layer until done, directly from the 3D CAD model, within the precision limits of the chosen process. Similarities and differences between these two coexisting computer driven prototyping processes, the subtractive CNC 3 – axes milled part production and the additive RP/ FDM technique, are pointed out for a disk cam manufacturing as sample part.