Although a number of CAM systems have implemented or are implementing KBM, the level of automation and input required from customers varies. A CAM system may require a high level of front-end effort by users to embed their machining practices and rules. Some may require computer programming skills and the setup of custom databases and perhaps spreadsheets before automation occurs.

Since most manufacturers don’t have people with those skills in-house, they must hire outside consultants to set up automated machining processes at considerable cost.
When machining intelligence is already built into a CAM system, there is no need to develop your own automation processes. The structure, process rules and databases already exist in the software, so the only thing you have to do is customize the automation to fit the needs of your own shop.
Knowledge-based machining should include:

1)Predefined machining rules that are adaptable to a user’s own machining preferences;

2)A database of standard tools;

3)A database of preprogrammed speeds and feeds;

4)A database of standard materials. Truly intelligent CAM systems have:

5)NO requirement for users to create databases of standard machining data;

6)NO library of static machining processes since operations are dynamically created;

7)NO hand coding required before the NC program is sent to the machine.