INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER NUMERICALLY

CONTROLLED (CNC) MACHINES AND

ITS ADVANTAGES
Bulon Ch. Hazarika, 15-22-308, CAD CAM & Automation, NIT Silchar, Assam

Abstract:
Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
machines have become a major part in
almost all types of manufacturing processes
and is used in a wide range of applications.
From aerospace applications to the
manufacturing of energy systems and
medical robots, we see a major reliance on
CNC machines. New machine tools in CNC
have enabled industry to consistently
produce parts to accuracies undreamed. The
same part can be reproduced to the same
degree of accuracy any number of times if the
CNC program has been properly prepared
and the computer properly programmed. The
operating commands which control the
machine tool are executed automatically with
amazing speed, accuracy, efficiency, and
repeatability.
Introduction:
Computer Numerical Control involves the
replacement of the conventional hard wired
NC controller unit by a small computer (mini
or microcomputer).CNC may be considered
to be a means of operating a machine through
the use of discrete numerical values fed into
the machine, where the required input
technical information is stored on a kind of
input media such as floppy disk, hard disk,
CD ROM, DVD, USB Flash Drive, or RAM
card. The machine follows a predetermined
sequence of machining operations at the

predetermined speeds necessary to produce a

work piece of the right shape and size and
thus according to completely predictable
results. A different product can be produced
through reprogramming and a low-quantity
production run of different products is
justified.
History:
In 1947, the U.S. Air Force found that the
complex designs and shapes of aircraft parts
such as helicopter rotor blades and missile
components were causing problems for
manufacturers, who could not keep up to
projected production schedules. At this time,
John Parsons, of the Parsons Corporation, of
Traverse
City,
Michigan,
began
experimenting with the idea of making a
machine tool generate a thru-axis curve" by
using numerical data to control the machine
tool motions. In 1949, the U.S. Air Material
Command awarded Parsons a contract to
develop NC and in turn speed up production
methods. Parsons subcontracted this study to
the Servomechanism Laboratory of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), which in 1952 successfully
demonstrated a vertical spindle Cincinnati
Hydrotel, which made parts through
simultaneous three-axis cutting tool
movements. In a very short period of time,
almost all machine tool manufacturers were
producing machines with NC. At the 1960
Machine Tool Show in Chicago, over a
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hundred NC machines were displayed. Most

of these machines had relatively simple
point-to-point positioning, but the principle
of NC was now firmly established. From this
point, NC improved rapidly as the electronics
industry developed new products. At first,
miniature electronic tubes were developed,
but the controls were big, bulky, and not very
reliable. Then solid-state circuitry and,
eventually, modular, or integrated circuits
were developed. The control unit became
smaller, more reliable, and less expensive.
The development of even better machine
tools and control units helped spread the use
of NC from the machine tool industry to all
facets of manufacturing.
Data Processing: NC data processing (with
numbers, letters, and symbols) is done in a
computer or machine control unit (MCU) by
adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing,
and comparing. The computer can be
programmed to recognize an A command
before a B command, an item 1 before an
item 2, or any other elements in their
sequential order. It is capable of handling
numbers very quickly; the addition of two
simple numbers may take only one billionth
of a second (a nanosecond).
NC Evolves into CNC: The introduction of
software-based controls in the early 1970s
replaced the NC hardware design with
complete computer logic that had more
capacity and could be programmed for a
variety of functions at any time. This made it
possible to revise, modify, or update CNC
programs or parts of programs at any time on
a computer. In turn, CNC machines became
easier to use with their menu-selected
displays, advanced graphics, and ease of
programming.

Types of CNC Machines:

CNC Mills:
These machining centers use computer
controls to cut different materials. They are
able to translate programs consisting of
specific number and letters to move the
spindle to various locations and depths. Used
to make 3D prototypes, moulds, cutting dies,
printing plates and sights.
CNC Lathes:
They cut metal that is often turning at fast
speeds. CNC lathes are able to make fast,
precision cuts using index able tools and
drills with complicated programs. Normally,
they cannot be cut on manual lathes. They
often include 12 tool holders and coolant
pumps to cut down on tool wear.
CNC Grinders:
Grinding metal process uses a coated wheel
that slowly removes metal to create a part.
Through the years, grinding was done on a
manual machine, but with the advent of CNC
technology, the grinding process has
advanced.
CNC Drilling:
Drilling is commonly used for mass
production. The drilling machine (drilling
press) is used to create or enlarge holes.
Drilling machine for different jobs;
The bench drill: For drilling holes through
raw materials such as wood, plastic and metal
The pillar drill: A larger version that stands
upright on the floor. As the bench drill, it can
be used to drill larger pieces of materials and
produce bigger holes.

CNC Boring:
Process of enlarging an existing hole or
internal cylindrical surface. This can be
accomplished on a lathe or a machine tool
specifically designed for the process, such as
a horizontal boring machine.
CNC Grinding:
CNC grinding machine is to use abrasives on
the workpiece surface grinding machine.
Most of the grinder is to use high-speed
rotation of the grinding wheel and grinding,
the minority is to use the oil stone, belt and
other abrasive and free abrasive processing,
such as honing machines, super finishing
machines, abrasive belt grinding machines,
grinding machines and polishing machines.

Applications:

widely used for lathe, drill press, milling

machine, grinding unit, laser, sheet-metal
press working machine, tube bending
machine etc. Highly automated machine
tools such as turning center and machining
center which change the cutting tools
automatically under CNC control have been
developed. In the non-machine tool category,
CNC applications include welding machines
(arc and resistance), coordinate measuring
machine, electronic assembly, tape laying
and filament winding machines for
composites etc.
Classification of CNC Systems:
CNC machine tool systems can be
classified in various ways such as:
1. Point-to-point or contouring :
depending on whether the machine
cuts metal while the work piece
moves relative to the tool

Parts with complicated contours

2. Incremental
or
absolute
:
depending on the type of
coordinate system adopted to
parameterize
the
motion
commands

Parts requiring close tolerance and/or good

repeatability

3. Open-loop or closed-loop :
depending on the control system
adopted for axis motion control

CNC machines are widely used in the metal

cutting industry and are best used to produce
the following types of product:

Parts requiring expensive jigs and fixtures

if produced on conventional machines
Parts that may have several engineering
changes, such as during the development
stage of a prototype
In cases where human errors could be
extremely costly
Parts that are needed in a hurry
Small batch lots or short production runs.
The applications of CNC include both for
machine tool as well as non-machine tool
areas. In the machine tool category, CNC is

Point-to-point systems:
Point-to-point (PTP) systems are the ones
where, either the work piece or the cutting
tool is moved with respect to the other as
stationary until it arrives at the desired
position and then the cutting tool performs
the required task with the motion axes
stationary. Such systems are used, typically,
to perform hole operations such as drilling,
boring, reaming, tapping and punching. In a
PTP system, the path of the cutting tool and
its feed rate while traveling from one point to
the next are not significant, since, the tool is
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not cutting while there is motion. Therefore,

such systems require only control of only the
final position of the tool. The path from the
starting point to the final position need not be
controlled.

Fig 1.1: Point to point systems

Contouring systems:
In contouring systems, the tool is cutting
while the axes of motion are moving, such as
in a milling machine. All axes of motion
might move simultaneously, each at a
different velocity. When a nonlinear path is
required, the axial velocity changes, even
within the segment. For example, cutting a
circular

Fig 1.2: Contouring Systems

Elements of a CNC System

A CNC system consists of the following 6
major elements:
a. Input Device
b. Machine Control Unit

c. Machine Tool
d. Driving System
e. Feedback Devices
f. Display Unit
Input Devices
a. Floppy Disk Drive:
Floppy disk is a small magnetic storage
device for CNC data input. It has been the
most common storage media up to the 1970s,
in terms of data transfer speed, reliability,
storage size, data handling and the ability to
read and write. Furthermore, the data within
a floppy could be easily edited at any point as
long as you have the proper program to read
it. However, this method has proven to be
quite problematic in the long run as floppies
have a tendency to degrade alarmingly fast
and are sensitive to large magnetic fields and
as well as the dust and scratches that usually
existed on the shop floor.
b. USB Flash Drive:
A USB flash drive is a removable and
rewritable portable hard drive with compact
size and bigger storage size than a floppy
disk. Data stored inside the flash drive are
impervious to dust and scratches that enable
flash drives to transfer data from place to
place. In recent years, all computers support
USB flash drives to read and write data that
make it become more and more popular in
CNC machine control unit.
c. Serial communication
The data transfer between a computer and a
CNC machine tool is often accomplished
through a serial communication port.
International
standards
for
serial
communications are established so that
information can be exchanged in an orderly
way. The most common interface between
computers and CNC machine tools is referred
to the EIA Standard RS-232. Most of the
personal computers and CNC machine tools
have built in RS232 port and a standard RS4

232 cable is used to connect a CNC machine

to a computer which enables the data transfer
in reliable way. Part programs can be
downloaded into the memory of a machine
tool or uploaded to the computer for
temporary
storage
by
running
a
communication program on the computer and
setting up the machine control to interact with
the communication software.
d. Ethernet communication:
Due to the advancement of the computer
technology and the drastic reduction of the
cost of the computer, it is becoming more
practical and economic to transfer part
programs between computers and CNC
machines via an Ethernet communication
cable. This media provides a more efficient
and reliable means in part program
transmission and storage. Most companies
now built a Local Area Network (LAN) as
their infrastructure. More and more CNC
machine tools provide an option of the
Ethernet Card for direct communication
within the LAN.
e. Conversational Programming:
Part programs can be input to the controller
via the keyboard. Built-in intelligent software
inside the controller enables the operator to
enter the required data step by step.
Machine Control Unit (MCU)
The machine control unit is the heart of the
CNC system. There are two sub-units in the
machine control unit: the Data Processing
Unit (DPU) and the Control Loop
Unit (CLU).
a. Data Processing Unit
On receiving a part program, the DPU firstly
interprets and encodes the part program into
internal machine codes. The interpolator of
the DPU then calculate the intermediate
positions of the motion in terms of BLU
(basic length unit) which is the smallest unit
length that can be handled by the controller.

The calculated data are passed to CLU for

further action.
b. Control Loop Unit
The data from the DPU are converted into
electrical signals in the CLU to control the
driving system to perform the required
motions. Other functions such as machine
spindle ON/OFF, coolant ON/OFF, tool
clamp ON/OFF are also controlled by this
unit according to the internal machine codes.

Fig 1.3: display and MCU

Machine Tool
This can be any type of machine tool or
equipment. In order to obtain high accuracy
and repeatability, the design and make of the
machine slide and the driving leadscrew of a
CNC machine is of vital importance. The
slides are usually machined to high accuracy
and coated with anti-friction material such as
PTFE and Turcite in order to reduce the stick
and slip phenomenon. Large diameter
recirculating ball screws are employed to
eliminate the backlash and lost motion.
Other design features such as rigid and heavy
machine structure; short machine table
overhang, quick change tooling system, etc.
also contribute to the high accuracy and high
repeatability of CNC machines.
Driving System
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The driving system is an important

component of a CNC machine as the
accuracy and repeatability depend very much
on the characteristics and performance of the
driving system. The requirement is that the
driving system has to response accurately
according to the programmed instructions.
This system usually uses electric motors
although hydraulic motors are sometimes
used for large machine tools. The motor is
coupled either directly or through a gear box
to the machine leadscrew to moves the
machine slide or the spindle. Three types of
electrical motors are commonly used.
a: DC Servo Motor
b: AC Servo Motor
c: Stepping Motor
e: Linear Motor
Feedback Device
In order to have a CNC machine operating
accurately, the positional values and speed of
the axes need to be constantly updated. Two
types of feedback devices are normally used,
positional feedback device and velocity
feedback device
a: Positional Feedback device
b: Velocity Feedback device
Display Unit
The Display Unit serves as an interactive
device between the machine and the operator.
When the machine is running, the Display
Unit displays the present status such as the
position of the machine slide, the spindle
RPM, the feed rate, the part programs, etc. In
an advanced CNC machine, the Display Unit
can show the graphics simulation of the tool
path so that part programs can be verified
before the actually machining. Much other
important information about the CNC system
can also displayed for maintenance and
installation work such as machine
parameters, logic diagram of the programmer

controller, error messages and diagnostic

data.

Fig 1.4: Block diagram of elements of CNC

Axis of motions in CNC machine:

In generally, all motions have 6 degrees of
freedom. In other words, motion can be
resolved into 6 axes, namely, 3 linear axes
(X, Y and Z axis) and 3 rotational axes (A, B,
and C axis).
A CNC turning Centre has two axis along
which the table can slide to perform the
operations while CNC milling has three axis
of motions.

Fig 1.5: Coordinate system of standard lathe

Fig 1.6: Standard CNC milling axis of motions

Part Program:
A part program is a set of instructions often
referred to as blocks, each of which refers to
a segment of the machining operation
performed by the machine tool. Each block
may contain several code words in sequence.
These provide:
1. Coordinate values (X, Y, Z, etc.) to specify
the desired motion of a tool relative to a work
piece. The coordinate values are specified
within motion code word and related
interpolation parameters to indicate the type
of motion required (e.g. point-to-point, or
continuous straight or continuous circular)
between the start and end coordinates. The
CNC system computes the instantaneous
motion command signals from these code
words and applies them to drive units of the
machine.
2. Machining parameters such as, feed rate,
spindle speed, tool number, tool offset
compensation parameters etc.
3. Codes for initiating machine tool functions
like starting and stopping of the spindle,
on/off control of coolant flow and optional
stop. In addition to these coded functions,
spindle speeds, feeds and the required tool
numbers to perform machining in a desired
sequence are also given.

4. Program execution control codes, such as

block skip or end of block codes, block
number etc.
5. Statements for configuring the subsystems
on the machine tool such as programming the
axes, configuring the data acquisition system
etc.
Basic Codes in CNC Machines:
Preparatory Codes (G ) for initial
machining setup and operating
conditions.
Miscellaneous Codes ( M) for on/off
of coolant flow, spindle rotation etc.
Spindle Speed (S)
Feed Rate (F)
Tool number (T)

Fig 1.7: Example of a typical block

Advantages of CNC machines:

-Flexibility in operations is improved, as it
has the ability to produce complex shapes
with good dimensional accuracy;
-Repeatability;
-Reduced scrap loss:
-Easier to program;
-Easy store, edit and change existing
programs;
-Stabilize manufacturing costs;
-Avoids human errors;
-Safer to operate;
-Usually generates closer tolerances than
manual machines
-High production rates
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REFERENCES:
Mickell P. Groover & Emory W. Zimmers, Jr Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing
P.N Rao CAD/CAM Principles and Applications
INDUSTRIAL CENTRE, THE HONGKONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY Computer
Numerical Control (CNC)
P.Radhakrishnan , S Subramanyan & V.Raju CAD/CAM/CIM