How do computer-aided design and manufacturing systems transform production?

"Technology is helping many firms improve their operating efficiency and ability to compete. Computer systems in particular are enabling manufacturers to automate factories in ways never before possible. Among the technologies helping to automate manufacturing are computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, robotics, flexible manufacturing systems, and computer-integrated manufacturing. In computer-aided design (CAD), computers are used to design and test new products and modify existing ones. Engineers use these systems to draw products and look at them from different angles. They can analyze the products, make changes, and test prototypes before manufacturing a single item. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) uses computers to develop and control the production process. These systems analyze the steps required to make the product, then automatically send instructions to the machines that do the work. CAD/CAM systems combine the advantages of CAD and CAM by integrating design, testing, and manufacturing control into one linked computer system. The system helps design the product, control the flow of resources needed to produce the product, and operate the production process. Companies can further improve the design and manufacturing processes through the use of additive manufacturing, commonly referred to as 3D printing. Specialized printers can create products or parts for use in early prototypes, and some industries print certain components on site rather than shipping them. Cardianove Inc., a Montreal-based manufacturer of medical and surgical equipment, used CAD software to develop the world’s smallest heart pump. The company says using computer-aided design shaved two years off the normal design time for cardiac devices. The company’s CAD program ran complex three-dimensional simulations to confirm that the design would function properly inside the human body. Using CAD software, Cardianove tested over 100 virtual prototypes before the top three designs were produced for real-life testing."