CAM
Computer aided manufacturing, or CAM, drives machines that turn a finished CAD design into a physical wax or resin master for casting.
CAM is the step that makes a CAD file real. Once a model is approved, CAM software prepares it for a machine, either a CNC mill that carves the shape from a wax block or a 3D printer that grows it in castable resin. The output is a physical master, ready to be moulded and cast.
Milling versus printing a master
There are two common routes. A CNC mill cuts the piece from solid jeweller's wax, which suits chunky forms and gives a very smooth surface. A resin printer builds the master layer by layer, which handles fine detail, undercuts and delicate openwork that a cutting tool cannot reach.
Many workshops keep both. A signet or a plain band mills cleanly, while a filigree pendant or a tight pave gallery prints better. The CAD file is the same; CAM decides how it becomes an object.
Why CAM matters for accuracy and repeatability
A hand carved master carries the carver's small variations. A CAM master reproduces the CAD file to a fraction of a millimetre, every time, so a design ordered in three sizes comes out consistent and a re-run months later matches the first batch.
That repeatability is what lets a jeweller treat a design as a product rather than a one off. The master leads into lost wax casting, and from there to setting and finishing.
- CAM turns an approved CAD model into a real wax or resin master
- CNC milling suits solid forms; resin printing suits fine detail
- It gives high accuracy and lets a design be reproduced reliably
- The master then feeds lost wax casting and finishing
CAM, in short.
What is the difference between CAD and CAM?
CAD creates the 3D design on screen. CAM takes that finished design and drives a machine to produce a physical master. CAD is design, CAM is making.
Do CAM masters go straight into jewellery?
No. The CAM output is a master model in wax or castable resin, not the finished metal piece. It is used to build a mould for casting, which then produces the metal jewellery.
Is a 3D printer part of CAM?
Yes. A castable resin 3D printer is one of the main CAM tools, sitting alongside CNC milling. Both convert a digital file into a physical master for the casting stage.
Related terms
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