Evolution of Simulation in CAM: Past, Present and Future

Computer Aided Manufacturing A brief history of simulation in CAM software

2025-04-12 A guest post by By Dr. Yavuz Murtezaoglu* 10 min Reading Time

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Simulation in CAM has evolved from a visual aid to a core pillar of safe, efficient manufacturing. This personal deep dive traces its transformation — from the early days of 5-axis backplotting to today’s real-time collision avoidance and GPU-accelerated material removal. What has been achieved, what challenges remain, and what lies ahead?

Simulation in CAM software has evolved from a luxury to a necessity during the past three decades.(Source: Module Works) — Simulation in CAM software has evolved from a luxury to a necessity during the past three decades.
(Source: Module Works)

In the world of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), simulation technology has evolved from a luxury to what many consider an essential component. In the landscape of CAM software, three questions consistently emerge: Is simulation of tool paths in CAM truly a must have or merely a nice-to-have feature? What capabilities should we expect from simulation in today’s modern CAM software and powerful hardware? And perhaps most importantly, what developments can we anticipate in the coming years?

I would like to take you on a journey through my last 30 years in this field, sharing insights and findings from my experience. This personal perspective will trace the evolution of simulation technology from its early rudimentary forms to today’s sophisticated solutions, providing a comprehensive understanding of where simulation technology stands in modern CAM.

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