Computer Numerical Control

1. Fundamentals of NC Technology
2. Computers and Numerical Control
3. Applications of NC
4. Analysis of Positioning Systems
5. NC Part Programming

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Numerical Control (NC)
• Form of programmable automation in which the mechanical
actions of a machine tool or other equipment are controlled
by a program containing coded alphanumeric data

• The alphanumeric data represent relative positions between

a workhead (e.g., cutting tool) and a work part

• When the current job is completed, a new program can be

entered for the next job

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Basic Components of an NC
System
1. Program of instructions
➢ Called a part program in machining
2. Machine control unit
➢ Controls the process
3. Processing equipment
➢ Performs the process

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Basic Components of an NC System

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 NC Coordinate Systems

(a) For flat and block-like parts and (b) for rotational parts

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Motion Control Systems
• Point-to-Point systems
• Also called positioning systems
• System moves to a location and performs an
operation at that location (e.g., drilling)
• Also applicable in robotics
• Continuous path systems
• Also called contouring systems in machining
• System performs an operation during movement
(e.g., milling and turning)

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Point-To-Point Control

NC drilling
of three
holes in flat
plate

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Continuous Path Control
Capable of
continuous
simultaneous
control of two or
more axes

NC profile milling
of part outline

• Straight NC Cut
• Contouring

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Circular Interpolation

Approximation of a
curved path in NC by a
series of straight-line
segments, where
tolerance is defined on
(a) inside, (b) outside,
and (c) both inside and
outside of the actual
curve

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Interpolation Methods
1. Linear interpolation
➢ Straight line between two points in space, the feed rate to be
used along the straight line.
➢ Then interpolator calculates the feed rates for each of the
axes
2. Circular interpolation
➢ Circular arc defined by starting point, end point, center or
radius, and direction
3. Helical interpolation
➢ Circular plus linear motion
4. Parabolic and cubic interpolation
➢ Free form curves using higher order equations
➢ Aerospace and automotive industry
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Absolute and Incremental
Positioning
• Absolute positioning
• Locations defined relative to origin of axis
system
• Incremental positioning
• Locations defined relative to previous
position
• Example: drilling

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Absolute vs. Incremental
Positioning
The work head is
presently at point (20, 20)
and is to be moved to
point (40, 50)
▪ In absolute positioning,
the move is specified by x
= 40, y = 50
▪ In incremental
positioning, the move is
specified by x = 20, y = 30

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Computer Numerical Control (CNC) –
Additional Features
• Storage of more than one part program
• Program editing at the machine tool
• Fixed cycles and programming subroutines, macros
• Adaptive control
• Interpolation
• Positioning features for setup – to help operator align work
part on machine tool table
• Acceleration and deceleration computations
• Communications interface
• Diagnostics

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Configuration of CNC Machine Control Unit

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CNC Software
• Operating system software: to interpret the NC part
programs and generate the corresponding control signals to
drive the machine tool axes.

• Machine interface software: Machine interface software is

used to operate the communication link between the CPU
and the machine tool to accomplish the CNC auxiliary
functions

• Application software: consists of the NC part programs that

are written for machining (or other) applications in the user’s
plant

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 DNC
• Direct numerical control (DNC) – control of multiple
machine tools by a single (mainframe) computer
through direct connection and in real time
• 1960s technology
• Two-way communication

• Distributed numerical control (DNC) – network

consisting of central computer connected to machine
tool MCUs, which are CNC

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 General Configuration of a
Direct Numerical Control
System

Connection to MCU is behind the tape reader (BTR). In

distributed NC, entire programs are downloaded to each
MCU, which is CNC rather than conventional NC

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Applications of NC
Machine tool applications:
➢Milling, drilling, turning, boring, grinding
➢Machining centers, turning centers, mill-turn
centers
➢Other metalworking processes:
• Punch presses for hole punching and sheet metal
bending
• Tube bending
• Thermal cutting machines
• Wire EDM
• Welding
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Common NC Machining
Operations
(a) Turning
(b) drilling
(c) milling
(d) grinding

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CNC Four-Axis
Horizontal Milling Machine

(a) With safety panels installed and (b) safety panels removed to show
typical axes configuration

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 NC Application Characteristics
(Machining)
Where NC is most appropriate:
1. Batch production
2. Repeat orders
3. Complex part geometries
4. Much metal needs to be removed from the starting
work part
5. Many separate machining operations on the part
6. Part is expensive

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Other Applications of NC
• Rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing
• Water jet cutting and abrasive water jet cutting
• Component placement machines in electronics
assembly
• Coordinate measuring machines
• Wood routers and granite cutters
• Tape laying machines for polymer composites
• Filament winding machines for polymer composites

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Advantages of NC
• Nonproductive time is reduced
• Greater accuracy and repeatability
• Lower scrap rates
• Inspection requirements are reduced
• More complex part geometries are possible
• Engineering changes are easier to make
• Simpler fixtures
• Shorter lead times
• Reduce parts inventory and less floor space
• Operator skill-level requirements are reduced

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Disadvantages of NC
Higher investment cost
➢ CNC machines are more expensive
Higher maintenance effort
➢ CNC machines are more technologically sophisticated
Part programming issues
➢ Need for skilled programmers
➢ Time investment for each new part
➢ Repeat orders are easy because part program is already
available

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 NC Positioning System

Typical motor and leadscrew arrangement in an NC positioning system for one

linear axis
For x-y capability, the apparatus would be piggybacked on top of a second
perpendicular axis
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Analysis of Positioning NC Systems
Two types of NC positioning systems:
1. Open-loop - no feedback to verify that the actual
position achieved is the desired position
2. Closed-loop - uses feedback measurements to
confirm that the final position is the specified
position
Precision in NC positioning - three measures:
1. Control resolution
2. Accuracy
3. Repeatability
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Motion Control Systems

(a) Open loop

(b) Closed loop

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Open-Loop Positioning Systems

• Uses a stepper motor

• Each pulse causes the motor to rotate a fraction of
one revolution, called the step angle.
• The possible step angles must be consistent with the
relationship

ns = the number of step angles for the motor, which

must be an integer.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Open-Loop Positioning Systems
The angle through which the motor shaft rotates is given by

where Am = angle of motor shaft rotation, °; np = number of

pulses received by the motor

The linear movement of the worktable

The number of pulses required to achieve a specified x-position
increment

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Open-Loop Positioning Systems
• Control pulses are transmitted from the pulse generator at a
certain frequency.
The rotational speed of the screw depends on the frequency of
the pulse train as

The table travel speed in the direction of screw axis is determined

by the rotational speed as

where vt = table travel speed, mm/min (in/min); fr = table feed

rate, mm/min (in/min)

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Open-Loop Positioning Systems

The required pulse train frequency to drive the

table at a specified linear travel rate

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Optical Encoder

• Device for measuring rotational position and speed: (a) apparatus and (b)
series of pulses to measure rotation
• Common feedback sensor for closed-loop NC control

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Closed-Loop Positioning Systems

• An optical encoder is a device for measuring rotational speed

that consists of a light source and a photodetector.

• By counting the pulses and computing the frequency of the

pulse train, the worktable position and velocity can be
determined

• The equations that define the operation of a closed-loop NC

positioning system are similar to those for an open-loop
system.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Closed-Loop Positioning Systems
In the basic optical encoder, the angle between slots in the disk
must satisfy the following requirement:

For a certain angular rotation of the encoder shaft, the number

of pulses sensed by the encoder is given by

The pulse count can be used to determine the distance moved

by the worktable along the x-axis (or y-axis):

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Closed-Loop Positioning Systems
The velocity of the worktable

The pulse frequency emitted by the encoder

The pulse train generated by the encoder is compared with the

coordinate position and feed rate specified in the part program,
and the difference is used by the MCU to drive a servomotor,
which in turn drives the worktable

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Precision in NC Positioning
Three measures of precision:
1. Control resolution - distance separating two
adjacent addressable points in the axis movement
2. Accuracy - maximum possible error that can occur
between the desired target point and the actual
position taken by the system
3. Repeatability - defined as 3 of the mechanical
error distribution associated with the axis

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Definitions of Control Resolution,
Accuracy, and Repeatability

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 NC Part Programming

1. Manual part programming

2. Computer-assisted part programming
3. CAD/CAM part programming
4. Manual data input

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Binary Coded Decimal System
• Each of the ten digits in decimal system is coded with
four-digit binary number

• The binary numbers are added to give the value

• BCD is compatible with 8 bits across tape format, the

original storage medium for NC part programs

• Eight bits can also be used for letters and symbols

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Binary coded Decimal

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Creating Instructions for NC
• Bit : 0 or 1 = absence or presence of hole in the tape
• Character - row of bits across the tape
• Word - sequence of characters (e.g., y-axis position)
• Block - collection of words to form one complete
instruction (e.g. explicitly determines what machine
tool will do)
• Part program - sequence of instructions (blocks)

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Block Format
Organization of words within a block in NC part program
• Also known as tape format because the original
formats were designed for punched tape
• Word address format - used on all modern CNC
controllers
➢Uses a letter prefix to identify each type of word
➢Spaces to separate words within the block
➢Allows any order of words in a block
➢Words can be omitted if their values do not change
from the previous block

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Types of Words
N - sequence number prefix
G - preparatory words
➢Example: G00 = PTP rapid traverse move
X, Y, Z - prefixes for x, y, and z-axes
F - feed rate prefix
S - spindle speed
T - tool selection
M - miscellaneous command
➢Example: M07 = turn cutting fluid on
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Example: Word Address
Format
N001 G00 X07000 Y03000 M03
N002 Y06000

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Manual Part Programming

• Adequate for simple jobs, e.g., PTP drilling

• Linear interpolation
G01 G94 X050.0 Y086.5 Z100.0 F40 S800
• Circular interpolation
G02 G17 X088.0 Y040.0 R028.0 F30
• Cutter offset
G42 G01 X100.0 Y040.0 D05

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Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 G01 G94 X050.0 Y086.5 Z100.0 F40 S800

G01 - Linear interpolation

G94 – Feed per minute

The tool is to move in a straight line from its

current position to the location defined by x =
50.0 mm, y = 86.5 mm, and z = 100.0 mm, at a
feed rate of 40 mm/min and spindle speed of
800 rev/min

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Circular interpolation
G02 G17 X088.0 Y040.0 R028.0 F30
G17, G18, G19: Circular interpolation is limited
to one of the planes x-y, x-z or y-z.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Cutter offset
G42 G01 X100.0 Y040.0 D05

Where D05 refers to the cutter radius value stored in MCU memory (reserved)
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 An example-Self Study

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Computer-Assisted Part Programming
• Manual part programming is time-consuming, tedious, and
subject to human errors for complex jobs
• Machining instructions are written in English-like statements
that are translated by the computer into the low-level
machine code of the MCU
• APT (Automatically Programmed Tool) language and computer
program which processes APT commands
• The various tasks in computer-assisted part programming are
divided between
➢ The human part programmer
➢ The computer

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Computer-Assisted Part
Programming

Sequence of activities in computer-assisted part

programming

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Part Programmer's Job
Two main tasks of the programmer:
1.Define the part geometry
2.Specify the tool path

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Defining Part Geometry
• Underlying assumption: no matter how complex the part
geometry, it is composed of basic geometric elements and
mathematically defined surfaces

Sample part with geometry elements (points, lines, and circle) labeled for
computer-assisted part programming.
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Defining Part Geometry

• Each element must be defined in terms of its

dimensions and location relative to other elements.

• Examples of part geometry definitions (The statements

are taken from APT)
• P4 = POINT/35,90,0
• L1 = LINE/P1,P2
• C1 = CIRCLE/CENTER,P8,RADIUS,30

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Specifying Tool Path and
Operation Sequence

• Tool path consists of a sequence of points or

connected line and arc segments, using previously
defined geometry elements

• Point-to-Point command:
– GOTO/P0

• Continuous path command

– GOLFT/L2,TANTO,C1

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Other Functions by Programmer in Computer-
Assisted Part Programming
• Specifying cutting speeds and feed rates
• Designating cutter size (for tool offset calculations)
• Specifying tolerances in circular interpolation
• Naming the program
• Identifying the machine tool

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Computer Tasks in Computer-Assisted Part
Programming
• Input translation – converts the coded instructions (APT High-
level language) in the part program into computer-usable form
• In particular, the following tasks:
• Syntax check of the input code to identify errors in
format, punctuation, spelling, and statement sequence;
• Assigning a sequence number to each APT statement in
the program;
• Converting geometry elements into a suitable form for
computer processing; and
• Generating an intermediate file called PROFIL

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Computer Tasks in Computer-Assisted Part
Programming
• Arithmetic and cutter offset computations – performs the
mathematical computations to define the part surface and
generate the tool path, including cutter offset compensation
(CLFILE)
• Editing – provides readable data on cutter locations and
machine tool operating commands (CLDATA)
• Postprocessing – converts CLDATA into low-level code that can
be interpreted by the MCU of a specific machine tool

The output of post-processing is a part program consisting of G-

codes, x-, y-, and z-coordinates, S, F, M, and other functions in word
address format.
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 NC Part Programming using CAD/CAM
• CAD/CAM systems automate portions of manual
work done in Computer-assisted Part Programming
• The procedure in CAD/CAM part programming can
be summarized in three steps

• If CAD/CAM system was used to define the original part geometry, no

need to recreate that geometry as in APT
• Therefore Geometry definition using CAD/CAM is usually available
from CAD models
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CAD/CAM Tool Path Generation and Simulation
First Step:

• For each operation, the programmer selects a cutting tool from

a tool library, which is most appropriate for the operation

• This permits the tool diameter and other dimensions to be

entered automatically for tool offset calculations.

• If the desired cutting tool is not available in the library, the

programmer can specify an appropriate tool, which then
becomes part of the library for future use.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CAD/CAM Tool Path Generation and Simulation
The next step is tool path definition
• Different approaches available

• The most basic approach involves the use of the interactive

graphics system to enter the motion commands (such as by
APT) one by one
• CAD/CAM system provides an immediate graphic display of
the action resulting from the command, thereby validating
the statement.

• A more advanced approach is to use one of the automatic

software modules (subroutines) available on the CAD/CAM
system
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CAD/CAM Tool Path Generation and Simulation

• When the complete part program has been developed, the

CAD/CAM system can provide an animated simulation of the
program for validation purposes.

• Any corrections to the tool path are made at this time.

• Finally, the part program that has been developed and verified
using CAD/CAM is post-processed to create the machine-
language part program in word address format for the
particular machine tool that will be used for the job.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Examples of Machining Cycles in Automated NC
Programming Modules

(a) Pocket milling, (b) contour turning, (c) facing, and (d) threading

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Some Common NC Modules for Automatic
Programming of Machining Cycles

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 CAD/CAM Part Programming-Advantages

• The part program can be simulated off-line on the

CAD/CAM system to verify its accuracy;
• The time and cost of the machining operation can be
determined by the CAD/CAM system;
• The most appropriate tooling can be automatically
selected for the operation;
• The CAD/CAM system can automatically insert the
optimum values for speeds and feeds for the work
material and operations

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Some Specific Software

Mastercam: Processes to which Mastercam can

be applied include milling and drilling, turning,
plasma cutting, and laser cutting.

• The output is a part program in word address

format.

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Typical Sequence of Steps in CNC Part Programming Using
Mastercam for a Sequence of Milling and Drilling Operations

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 STEP-NC
• The larger project is called STEP, which is an
acronym for Standard for the Exchange of Product
Model Data

• The international standard is ISO 10303 [18], and

the application protocol that deals with NC part
programming is ISO 10303-238 (also known as AP
238), which is titled Application Interpreted Model
for Computer Numeric Controllers

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 STEP-NC
• A future CAM system would possess sufficient logic
and decision-making capability to accomplish
programming for the entire part without human
assistance.
• Research and development is proceeding on a new
machine tool control language that would eliminate
the need for machine-level part programming using
G-codes and M-codes.
• In effect, it would result in the automatic generation
of NC part programs without the participation of
human part programmers

Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 STEP-NC
• The limitation of part programs based on G-codes and M-
codes is that they consist of instructions that only direct the
actions of the cutting tool, without any related information
content about the part being machined.

• STEP-NC would replace G-codes and M-codes with a more

advanced language that directly associates the CNC
processing instructions to the geometric model contained in
the CAD database.

• The CNC machine control unit would receive a STEP-NC file

and be capable of converting that file into tooling and
machining commands to the machine tool without any
additional part programming.
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.
 Manual Data Input
• Machine operator does part programming at machine
➢Operator enters program by responding to prompts
and questions by system
➢Monitor with graphics verifies tool path
➢Usually for relatively simple parts
• Ideal for small shop that cannot afford a part
programming staff
• To minimize changeover time, system should allow
programming of next job while current job is running
• This is called manual data input (MDI)/conversational
programming
Automation, Production Systems and Computer-integrated Manufacturing, M. P. Groover, PHI; ©2008 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.