Recently, CAD/CAM has begun to extend beyond just modeling, detailing and NC into the area of collaboration. One important aspect of collaboration for the mold industry is how moldmakers and their customers share information and discuss issues concerning mold design and manufacture.

Time is wasted at the beginning of a new mold project when working out details such as proper draft, undercut resolution and parting line issues; then waiting for responses either by telephone, mail or e-mail. Often, critical data is misplaced or inaccessible to project team members that need it to complete their tasks.

In addition, when issues arise that require a consensus to proceed, it is often difficult to resolve them because they may require an expensive and inconvenient on-site visit with many parties in attendance. Even with modern teleconferencing, critical resolutions that were arrived at during the meeting must be written down in order to remind everyone what was determined. In many cases, critical details are not recorded, which leads to confusion later over topics thought to be resolved.