COMPANY : London Apparel Organisation
JOB TITLE : CAD /CAM Programmer
CAD /CAM – Stands for Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacture. I use it in the Fashion industry but it’s transferable to almost any manufacturing and design process that you can think of, though the software that you would use for architectural design, for instance, would be totally different and customised to that industry.
RELATED DEGREE :
- Fashion and Textiles Degree specialising in Pattern Cutting – Many students have a background in MSc in IT
WORK EXPERIENCE :
I first got into CAD /CAM as a student on a pattern cutting course. I was sent to do a placement at Frank Usher high fashion ladies wear designer and I subsequently stayed there for a couple of summer vacation jobs. I was a digitiser, combining pattern cutting knowledge with IT techniques. The system I used then was called Assist.
Later I went on to get work with a big fashion manufacturer – Mark Anthony. It was there that I was introduced to different software called Investronica. It was all new to me but because of my previous experience, I picked it up pretty quickly in three days. My role was to use IT when amending patterns from designers to individual customer’s specifications. My next job was with Jon Adam, where they used yet another package, a Canadian one called PAD . Again, after a couple of days training, I was a home with this.
When I moved to my fourth firm, Carmel, I learned the LECTRA system in about five days. The best known software is from Gerber, a US company, but recently two other major systems LECTRA and Investronica have merged. You can easily adapt to all these innovations if you know the basic process. It’s a bit like driving. Once you’ve passed the test and acquired initial competence, you can adjust to any type of car!
SKILLS REQUIRED :
- Creative but with a technical focus.
- Good people skills both for working with customers, designers and colleagues alike.
- Patience and flexibility with regarding to training others – need to be able to think outside the box to think of new ways of explaining the software to minds that may be more visual than technical.
BENEFITS OF THE JOB :
I now train students to use CAD /CAM software and have to develop courses and course materials for individual students and those already working in the industry. They can be beginners or intermediate and, in some cases, they are people who are experienced on the manual side of pattern making and cutting. There is a basic course in digitising manual patterns and I also run General National Vocational Qualifications in CAD /CAM.
I really like working with people so find this extremely satisfying especially when I can offer encouragement to train some of the very old hands who may be in their 60s or 70s who may find it initially difficult to adjust to working on the computer.
I especially like the fact that I am constantly being challenged since you are continually updating your knowledge to match the developments in the in each CAD /CAM package.
CAREER GOALS :
CAD /CAM was new and less widely available in the late 90s but now the whole industry uses it. I think it’s a great creative process to modify at the click of a mouse! My goal is to spread the word and train as many students as possible which will result in a huge time and money saver from small start up companies to the high fashion elite of the couture labels.