History and Development of Technology History and Development of Technology

Conventional M/C Taking the Next Step in CNC Technology

Fully Integrated CNC

NC M/C CNC

Utility
(1948 US Air force, MIT 21 months )
 1955 - John Parsons and US Air Force define a need to develop a machine tool capable of
Paper Tape NC
machining complex and close tolerance aircraft parts with the same quality time after time
Hardwired NC
(repeatability). MIT is the subcontractor and builds the machine for the project.
 1959 - MIT announces Automatic Programmed Tools (APT) programming language. Evolution of NC Machines
 1960 - Direct Numerical Control (DNC). This eliminates paper tape punch programs and
allows programmers to send files directly to machine tools.

CNC M/C
 1968 - Kearney & Trecker machine tool builders market first machining center.
 1970’s - CNC machine tools & Distributed Numerical Control.
 1980’s - Graphics based CAM systems introduced. Unix and PC based systems available.
 1990’s - Price drop in CNC technology.
 1997 - PC- Windows/NT based “Open Modular Architecture Control (OMAC)” systems.
introduced to replace “firmware” controllers.
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Numerical Control (NC):

NC machine tools are the machine tool, of which the

various functions are controlled by: letters, numbers
and symbols.

The NC machine tool runs on the program fed to it;

without human operator. The NC program consist of
a set of instruction or statement for controlling the
motion of the drives of the machine tools as well as
the motion of the cutting tool.

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 Direct Numerical Control (DNC):

A system in which a central computer downloads

the NC programs block by block to many NC
machine tools simultaneously.

This system used to work with the early NC machine

tools which can not read more than a block of
information at a time. The central computer feed the
program information one block at a time. When the
machine execute the information, the next block of
information would be fed.
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Conventional vs. CNC machine (cont’d)

 Function

System of NC, CNC and DNC

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Conventional vs. CNC machine (cont’d) Conventional vs. CNC machine (cont’d)

 Conventional machine
 eyes, hands, brain, skill

 CNC machine
Program  Control unit  Motor  Motion

Measuring & Reflection Unit

 Machine Structure
The CNC machine tools are basically built in the same way as conventional No skill is required for operating CNC m/c .
machine tools. The difference lies in the fact that the machine components
relevant for turning and milling processes are controlled by computers.
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Conventional vs. CNC machine (cont’d) Conventional vs. CNC machine (cont’d)
Item Conventional CNC machine
machine
1. Movement Acme screw Ball screw
Conventional machine
2. Feed manual motor
3.measurement manual Linear scale

Special Conventional

CNC
Repeatable
Special

Cost
CNC
CNC machine
Conventional

Variety & Accuracy Quantity

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Conventional Utilization of computers
Machine in manufacturing
applications provides
Tool
the most significant
advantages to improve
the productivity and
efficiency of
manufacturing systems

NC/CNC Productivity: machine utilization is increased,

 more time is spent cutting
Machine
 less time is taken by positioning / setup
Tool
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PRODUCTIVITY through AUTOMATION Advantages of CNC

PRODUCTIVITY increases, Complexity Uniform

COST decreases,  Flexible, high accuracy
 Short production time
 Complex shapes
 Short setting time
 No skill requirement
 Short inspection time/ high quality product
PROFIT increases
 Low cost
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Disadvantages of CNC
High cost
 High machine cost Why CNC ???
 Complicated maintenance
 Skill & training are required for
programming and maintenance. HUMAN  LIMITATION
 Parts are imported from aboard.
 High tooling cost MORE PROFIT
 Temperature, humidity & dust must be
controlled. 17 18