CNC & Machine Controls
Software Is The CNC
Imagine a computer numerical control (CNC) system set free of proprietary hardware. Two shops discuss their experiences with software-based machine controllers.
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The Shop With A Nervous System
Automatically recording and distributing information about what's happening while a machine tool is in operation leads to process improvements and higher productivity for this aircraft manufacturer.
Read MoreDrive Train Facility Moves From Punched Tape To DNC
This Rockwell plant measures 200,000 square feet, employs a staff of 460 and is primarily involved in the production of drive shafts for semi-trucks. As the product line evolved, so did their manufacturing methods.
Read MoreAcu-Rite Reinvents Its Products And Its Processes
It's a brave company that makes the commitment to obsolete its current product line and bring on-line a new one. As of September first, that's exactly what Acu-Rite (Jamestown, New York) will do. A leading manufacturer of digital readouts (DRO) for thirty years, the company decided in 1995 to begin a process that would replace the entire product line in a single stroke.
Read MoreOpen-Architecture CNC Closes Servo Loop In Software
The company developed Compact II, an NC programming language that quickly became one of the most widely used in the metalworking industry.
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Break The Accuracy Barrier
"Reference comparison" uses probing to hold accuracies tighter than inherent process error.
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Key CNC Concept #4—The Forms Of Compensation
Though applied for different reasons on different machine types, all forms of compensation allow the CNC user to allow for unpredictable conditions related to tooling.
Read MoreKey CNC Concept #2—Know Your Machine
If you already know basic machining practice as it relates to the CNC machine you will be working with, you already know what it is you want the machine to do.
Read MoreCNC Intro-The Key Concepts Of Computer Numerical Control
Today, computer numerical control (CNC) machines are found almost everywhere, from small job shops in rural communities to Fortune 500 companies in large urban areas.
Read MoreKey CNC Concept #7—Know The Machine From An Operator's Viewpoint
This perspective for a good programmer is a practical one, since the CNC operator must understand the machine's basic components, its directions of motion, and all buttons and switches available on the machine tool itself.
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