Chap. 7.

2 Numerical Control
Contents (11.10. & 17.10. 24)

• Introduction
• Hardware configuration
• Types of NC systems
• NC/CNC/DNC
• Basics of part programming
• Part programming using CAD/CAM systems
and manual data input
References:
Lee, K, Chap. 11.5 – 11.8 and Groover, M.., Chap 7

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 Introduction
In the last section, we discussed that

 computerized process planning is essential for integration of design and

manufacturing without human intervention.

: Computerized process planning implies that the following are computerized

• Selection of machines to produce a part
• Determining sequence operations on those machines,
• Estimation of time for machine setup and production
• Scheduling of production and
• Identification of tooling and material requirement

 However, computerized process planning itself will not automate the production process
unless the machines used in the production process can be directly driven by a computer
without human intervention

 Adding numerical control capability to conventional machine tools can realize this automation

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 Introduction

 Numerical control (NC) is the use of coded numerical information in the automatic
control of equipment positioning.

 Specifically, NC stores the production steps in a part program, which is read by the
control system of the machine tool, and the part is produced automatically without
human operators

Objective of NC for the machine tool:

to direct the motion of the cutting tool or the movement of the part against a
rotating tool or change cutting tool

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 Introduction …

Different ways of generating a part program

 Manual part programming
 Computer-assisted part programming and
 Part programming directly from a CAD
database (using CAD/CAM systems)
 Manual data input

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 Hardware configuration

 The MCU of modern NC technology is a micro-computer and related control hardware that
stores programs and executes by converting each command line into mechanical actions
 DPU
 reads the part program from tape or other medium
 decodes the program statements and processes
 sends to the CLU about the position of each axis of the MT, its direction of
motion, feed and other auxiliary functions
 CLU
 converts the received data to control signals and controls the MT operation

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 Types of NC Systems
Two major types of NC controllers
1) Point-to-point (PTP) system (positioning system)
 Used when the path of the tool with respect to
the workpiece is not important, e.g. drilling
 The tool is not in contact with workpiece while it
is travelling from point to point.
 Motion is simple and machines with such
controller are cheap

2) Contouring or continuous path system

 Used when the motion of the tool relative
to the machined part is important
 Two or more axes can be controlled
 Example operations: milling, turning,
grinding, …

Notice the necessity of tool offset from the part profile

by a distance equal to its radius
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 NC/CNC/DNC
Basic structure of an NC system. Compilers translate
Three parts: Part program, MCU and Machine tool (MT)
 A part program contains all the information for the machining
of a component which is input to the MCU.
 MCU provides the control signals at the correct time and
in the correct sequence of the various drive units of the computer
numerical control (CNC) machine.
Various programming
• 1st generation machine tools: (based on vacuum tube technology) languages exist, such as APT
• 2nd generation machine tools: (based on solid-state circuits)
 For these two generations, it is not possible to store program in
MCU and the MCU could process only one command at a time.
Punched tape was used as a medium to deliver program to MCU
Such machines are referred to as NC machines
• 3rd generation MTs used integrated circuit and memory technology in
computer hardware
 computers are incorporated in the control system (in 1970s)
MCU has a memory unit  program is loaded only once
Such machines are referred to as computer numerical control
(CNC) machines

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 NC/CNC/DNC
• Direct Numerical Control, also known as Distributed
Numerical Control, (both DNC) is a method of
networking CNC machine tools
• the program is stored in a separate computer and
sent direct to the machine, one block at a time.
• If the computer is connected to a number of
machines, it can distribute programs to different
machines as required.
• Distributed numerical control machines may hold
one or more programs in their local storage
 can operate independent of the central
computer (after downloading)
• Some DNCs have satellite computers local to each
NC machine to increase speed, handle large files
and expand the number of machine tools used

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 Basics of part programming
Part (NC) programming means
Tool
 Generation of the set of coded, machine z y

(computer) readable instructions (alphanumeric x

information) that control

• Mutual tool and/or workpiece position
( following part geometry)
• Tool selection, spindle on/off, selection of
sense of rotation, feed, tool change, coolant
on/off, etc.
 This implies that NC information consists of:
• geometric,
• technological and
• organizational components
 The part programmer must have a knowledge of
machining technologies as well as geometry and
trigonometry

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 Basics of part programming …
Part program contains
• Geometry information about the part
• Motion information to move the tool against the workpiece
Description of both geometry and motion needs definition of a coordinate system
 Cartesian coordinate systems: For linear
motions x, y and z oriented according to right-
hand (RH) rule and three rotations (a, b and c)
 Manufacturers define the positive direction of
the axes
General convention:
Z-axis Two axis systems used in NC
 This axis is first defined, and motion along +Z
moves the cutting tool away from the workpiece
 Z-axis is adopted as the axis of the main
(principal) spindle or the axis that provides
cutting power/speed
 For rotating workpiece (WP) like lathe:
 Z-axis is parallel to the spindle
 For rotating tool like milling, drilling and boring:
 Z-axis is parallel to the tool axis

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 Basics of part programming …
X-axis
• Generally horizontal and parallel to the work
holding surface
• Machine with rotating WP like lathe:
• x-axis is direction of tool movement
and
• +x moves the cutting tool away from
the WP
• Vertical milling or drilling machine:
• Movement of table to the right and left
• +x is to the righthand direction when one
faces the machine

 Horizontal milling machine

 x-axis is parallel to the table

 Y-axis: determined from x and z such that the xyz

coordinate system forms the right-hand coordinate sys.

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 Basics of part programming …
Machine tool classification:

2-ax is, 3-ax is and 5-ax is m achines

 Classification according to the number of axes of
motion they can provide to control the tool position
and orientation simultaneously 3-axis milling
 2-axis machine tool:
the machine can control two axes
simultaneously and the 3rd axis is
independently controlled
 3-axis machine tool
the tool can be moved along any curve by
simultaneous control of the three axes (but tool
orientation does not change with motion)
 Etc….
5 axis milling: shows how many
 Up to 9-axis machine tools are today available ways one can move the tool in
relation to the workpiece

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 Basics of part programming …
Syntax of a part program:
 Part program is stored using a well-defined syntax containing specific details
of operation in a word

 Machine receives instructions as a sequence of blocks containing commands

that set machine parameters such as: speed, feed, and other operations.

 A block is equivalent to a line of words in a part program, where each block

is composed of several commands (words in each line).

 Each word has an identifying letter followed by an associated number e.g.

Z200 (for +ve z-direction) or Z-200 (for -ve z-direction)

 The letter is referred to as the address, and the manufacturer of the control
system defines the letter to be used as the address for each word (given in
the manual of the control system)

 For convenience, certain letters have been standardized for particular words

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 Basics of part programming …
List of some standardized letter:
 Sequence or block number (N code)
 Identifies each block in a part program and
 Provides a way to locate commands rapidly
 Preparatory command or
Geometric code (G code)
 Prepares MCU for a given operation (cutter motion)
 Defines commands that select
a) movement system (point–to–point, contouring, etc…)
b) unit system for dimension input (metric or imperial)
c) preset sequence of events (canned cycles)
d) need for compensation of variation in tool size

 Dimension words (X, Y, Z, A, B and C words)

 Contain location and axis orientation data of the cutter Tool
 Additional words such as A, B and C are used when the
NC codes use more than the three axes z
y

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 Basics of part programming …
List of some standardized letter:

 Feed command (F code)  Speed command (S code)

 Specifies the cutters feed rates  Specifies the spindle speed in

(mm/min, or mm/rev.) revolutions per minute (rpm)
 Expressed by a four digit number,
G94 and G95 for milling & drilling e.g. S1200
G98 and G99 for turning operation
 Contains preparatory functions

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 Basics of part programming …
List of some standardized letters (cont…):
 Tool selection command (T code)
 Specifies the tool to be used in a specific operation (valid for automatic tool
changer)
 Specific designations exist that contain tool number, tool offset number and nose
radius compensation
 Miscellaneous commands (M code) The command consists of the
address M followed by two digits
 Used to designate a particular mode of operation
 Typical operations include: switch machine,
coolant supply and spindle on/off
 Generally only one M code is coded in one block
 Most of M codes are modal,
i.e. the code remains active
 not necessary to repeat on each block

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 Basics of part programming …

Example:
N020 G00 X0 Y0 Z500 T01 M06

Note:
Omitted words are assumed to be zero or to be
the same as the value previousely defined, for
instance as F and S words omitted above

The words do not need be in specific order,

though sequences as above are used for the
sake of convenience.
Space between words is optional
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 Basics of part programming …

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 Example 1

Write a part program to drill the holes in the

part shown. The part is 12,00 mm thick.

Operation data:
 Cutting speed: S = 100 m/min
y  Feed rate: f = 0,06 mm/rev.
 Programming method: absolute
positioning
Assume tool is positioned at S(0, -50, 10)

Note: S = 100 m/min  Surface speed

= 100×103 mm/min×(π×d(=10 mm))-1
= 3180 rev./min

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 Example 2

The part shown in the figure is to be drilled

on a drill press. The part is 15 mm thick.

Operational data:
 Cutting speed: S = 75 mm/min.
 Feed: f = 0,08 mm/rev.
 Designation of drill bits of 8, 10 and 12
mm as T01, T02 and T03 respectively.
Hole x-coordinate y-coordinate diameter
 Programming: absolute positioning
A 25 25 8
B 50 75 10
C 75 50 12
D 100 75 10
E 150 25 8
F 175 25 8

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 Manual part programming …

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 Manual part programming …
 In manual programming, the programmer, without computer aids, records
the NC blocks in a part program manuscript (shown below)

 The program provides tool motions, not

the geometry of the part configuration

 the dimension words should describe

the path of the center of the cutting
tool, not the parts contour

 Manual programming is tedious

involving arithmetic and trigonometric
calculations that are subject to error,
unless programming aids are used

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 Manual part programming …
Cutter size compensation, milling

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 Zero point and reference point

 M: Machine zero point

 Determined under the machine tool’s measuring system, unchangeable
 Defines origin of the machine tool’s coordinate system
 R: Reference point
 Defined by CAMs and the measuring system
 Its distance to M should be known
 P: Program zero point
 Where the NC program starts, and tool change often takes place
 W: origin of WP coordinate system, freely determined by programmer, fixed to WP.
 Also used as program zero point
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 NC Interpolation methods
 Interpolation is necessary for contouring path
 contouring type NC generates circular arcs and
other smooth nonlinear shapes, where
 some arcs can be expressed in mathematical
formula,
e.g. x2 + y2 = R2 for a circle, and
 some cannot be defined mathematically except
by approximation

 How can continuous curves be generated while

NC is digital?
Approximated by a series of line segments, and
the accuracy is controlled by the tolerance

The tool is commanded to machine each

line segment

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 NC Interpolation methods …
 Five interpolation methods:
1. Linear
2. Circular
3. helical
4. Parabolic and
5. Cubic

 Linear interpolation
 Most basic method used to generate straight line
continuous path
 Needs specifying start point, end point and the
feed rate
 Circular interpolation:
 Permits to interpolate circular arcs.
 Needs the following specifications
(1) Coordinate of starting point
(2) Coordinate of the end point
(3) Either center or radius of arc
(4) Direction of cutter along the arc (G02 or G03)

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 Dimension Commands
Two ways to designate dimension
1. Absolute dimension programming (G90):
 control mode where the data input is in absolute dimension

(relative to the machine origin (Machine zero point, M)

 Advantage: fairly easy to check & correct a part program

2. Incremental dimension programming (G91):

 control mode where the data input is in incremental dimension

(relative to the previous dimension)

 Zero point changes from one position to the next

 A mistake in one dimension affects the following movements

Example: Write the numerical code to drill the holes using

absolute and incremental dimensions

Example (drilling of 4 holes)

Example (drilling of 4 holes)
Absolute Incremental
G90 X-50 Y40 G91 X-50 Y40
X-50 Y-40 Y-80
X50 Y-40 X100
X50 Y40 Y80
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 Dimension Commands, cont ..
 Example
Write a part program to mill the edge of the plate
shown using incremental dimension.
Thickness of plate: t = 40 mm
 Tool diameter, T01 = 10 mm
 Cutting speed: S = 1740 rpm
 Feed, for rapid transverse: F = 950 mm/min
for cutting: F = 350 mm/min

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 ?
Next: Computer-assisted part programming
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 NC part programming using CAD/CAM
&
by Manual Data Input (MDI)

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 NC part programming using CAD/CAM

 CAD/CAM systems:
computer interactive graphics that can integrate design & manufacturing
 NC part program is done by the computer
 The two main tasks of the part programmer are partly automated.
These tasks are
(1) part geometry definition
 The part programmer receives immediate visual verification of the geometry elements
(2) tool path specification,
 automatic software modules for common machining operations such as turning, milling, drilling, etc.
can be called as subroutines in the machining cycle

Examples of machining cycles that are available in automatic machining modules

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 NC part programming using CAD/CAM
 CAD/CAM systems ….

 Advantages:
 Part program can be simulated off-line and machining accuracy can be
verified.
 Time and cost can be determined by simulation
 Most appropriate tools can be selected
 Speed and feed cab be optimized for the selected materials and operations

 Limitations:
 Software is needed
 Training of the operator is required

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 NC part programming by Manual Data Input (MDI)

 In manual and computer-assisted programming,

a relatively high degree of formal documentation and procedure are required
 Lead time is required to write and validate the program

 A substantial portion of the procedure is automated in CAD/CAM

programming, but significant commitment is required in equipment, software
& training
 In MDI: Machine operator creates part program at the machine tool by inserting the
part geometry data and motion commands directly into the MCU
 It is also called Conversational Programming
 It does not need special NC part programming equipment and no need of hiring a
part programmer
 Menu-driven procedure where the operator responds to prompts and questions
posed by the NC system
 Limitations: Risk of programming errors for relatively complex geometry
 Used for simple tasks

33
Summary and Questions

The chapter focused on the following topics

 Hardware configuration

 Types of NC systems: NC/CNC/DNC

 Basics of part programming

 Part programming using CAD/CAM systems and manual data input

 Brief introduction of CAD/CAM system and Manual data input methods of part
programming

(Read also M.P. Groover, Chap. 7.6)

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