Computer Numerical Control

CNC
 Numerical Control
• Numerical control is a method of automatically
operating a manufacturing machine based on a
code of letters, numbers, and special characters.
• The numerical data required to produce a part is
provided to a machine in the form of a program,
called part program or CNC program.
• The program is translated into the appropriate
electrical signals for input to motors that run the
machine.

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 NUMERICAL
DATA
(NC CODE)

NUMERICAL
MANUFACTURING CONTROLLER
OPERATOR
Drive Control

PROCESSED
PART

MACHINE UNIT

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 Numerical Control - History
• The concept is credited to John Parson (1947). Using
punched cards he was able to control the position of a
machine in an attempt to machine helicopter blade.
• US Air Force teamed up with MIT to develop a
programmable milling machine (1949).
• In 1952, a three-axis Cincinnati Hydrotel milling machine
was demonstrated. The term Numerical Control (NC)
originated. The machine had an electromechanical
controller and used punched cards.
• A new class of machines called machining centers and
turning centers that could perform multiple machining
processes was developed.
• Modern NC machine has a computer on board, Computer
Numerical Control (CNC). They can run unattended at
over 20,000 rpm (spindler speed) with a feed rate of over
600 ipm and an accuracy of .0001

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 CNC Applications
• Machining
2D / 3D
Turning ~ Lathes, Turning Centre
Milling ~ Machining Centres
• Forming
2D
Plasma and Laser Cutting
Blanking, nibbling and punching
3D
Rapid Prototyping

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 SAMPLE
CNC MACHINES

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CNC TURNING

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CNC MILLING

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CNC LASER CUTTING

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CNC PLASMA CUTTING

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CNC PRESS

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CNC RAPID PROTOTYPING

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 SAMPLE PRODUCTS
OF
CNC MANUFACTURING

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AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Engine Block

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AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY(Cont’d)
Different Products

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 AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Aircraft Turbine Machined by
5-Axis CNC Milling Machine

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CNC MOLD MAKING

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ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY

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RAPID PROTOTYPING
PRODUCTS

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 ADVANTAGES OF CNC
Utilization of computers in
manufacturing applications has proved
to be one of the most significant
advantages & developments over the
last couple of decades in helping to
improve the productivity and
efficiency of manufacturing systems.

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 any means of helping the
workers to perform their
tasks more efficiently
AUTOMATION

transfer of the skill of

the operator to the
machine

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 ADVANTAGES of CNC
• Productivity
Machine utilisation is increased because more
time is spent cutting and less time is taken by
positioning.
Reduced setup time increases utilisation too.

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PROFIT increases as COST decreases and as
PRODUCTIVITY increases.

PRODUCTIVITY through AUTOMATION

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 COST = COST OF
MANUFACTURING AND COST OF
MATERIAL HANDLING

EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTIVITY = AVERAGE

MANUFACTURING OUTPUT PER MAN-HOUR

PROFIT = INCOME - COST

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 ADVANTAGES of CNC
• Quality
Parts are more accurate.
Parts are more repeatable.
Less waste due to scrap.

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 ADVANTAGES of CNC

• Reduced inventory
Reduced setup time permits smaller economic
batch quantities.
Lower lead time allows lower stock levels.
Lower stock levels reduce working capital
requirements.

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 ADVANTAGES of CNC
• Management Control
CNC leads to CAD
Process planning
Production planning

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 DRAWBACKS of CNC
• High capital cost
Machine tools cost $30,000 - $1,500,000
• Retraining and recruitment of staff
• New support facilities
• High maintenance requirements
• Not cost-effective for low-level production on simple
parts
• Maintenance personnel must have both mechanical
and electronics expertise

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FUNDAMENTAL OF
METAL CUTTING

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 The metal cutting operations (also
called machining) is one of the most
important manufacturing processes in
industry today (as it was yesterday).

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 MACHINING IS THE REMOVAL OF
MATERIALS IN FORMS OF CHIPS
FROM THE WORKPIECE BY SHEARING
WITH A SHARP TOOL.

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The main function of a machine tool is
to control the workpiece-cutting tool
positional relationship in such a way as
to achieve a desired geometric shape
of the workpiece with sufficient
dimensional accuracy.

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 Primary motion

Relative motion
between tool and Secondary motion
workpiece

Cutting motion Feed motion

Cutting Feed rate

speed
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 CNC Machines
Machining Centers, equipped with automatic tool changers, are capable of
changing 90 or more tools. Can perform milling, drilling, tapping, boring… on
many faces.

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 Basic Components of NC System

The basic components of an NC system are the programme of instructions, the

machine control unit, and the processing equipment
 CNC Controllers
The NC controller is the brain of the NC system, it controls all functions of the
machine.

• Motion control deals with the tool position, orientation and

speed.

• Auxiliary control deals with spindle rpm, tool change, fixture

clamping and coolant.

Many different types of controllers are available in the market (GE, Fanuc,
Allen-Bradley, Okuma, Bendix, …).

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 Types of CNC machines

Based on Motion Type:

Point-to-Point or Continuous path

Based on Control Loops:

Open loop or Closed loop

Based on Power Supply:

Electric or Hydraulic or Pneumatic

Based on Positioning System

Incremental or Absolute
 Point-to-Point Tool Movements
Point-to-point control systems cause the tool to move to a point on the part and
execute an operation at that point only. The tool is not in continuous contact with
the part while it is moving.
Drilling, reaming, punching, boring and tapping are examples of point-to-point
operations.

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 Continuous-Path Tool Movements
Continuous-path controllers cause the tool to maintain continuous contact with the
part as the tool cuts a contour shape. These operations include milling along any lines
at any angle, milling arcs and lathe turning.

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 Open Loop Systems for Controlling Tool Movement

Open
UsesLoop System
stepping motor to create movement. Motors rotate a fixed
amount for each pulse received from the MCU. The motor sends a
signal back indicating that the movement is completed. No feedback
to check how close the actual machine movement comes to the
exact movement programmed.

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Closed Loop Systems for Controlling Tool Movement

AC, DC, and hydraulic servo-motors are used. The speed of these
motors are variable and controlled by the amount of current or fluid.
The motors are connect to the spindle and the table. A position
sensor continuously monitors the movement and sends back a single
to Comparator to make adjustments.

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 Basic Axis Principles
All computer controlled machines are able to accurately and repeatedly control
motion in various directions. Each of these directions of motion is called an
axis. Depending on the machine type there are commonly two to five axes.
Additionally, a CNC axis may be either a linear axis in which movement is in a
straight line, or a rotary axis with motion following a circular path.
 CNC Machine Axes of Motion
More complex CNC machines have the capability of executing additional rotary
motions (4th and 5th axes).

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In defining the motion of the tool from
one point to another, either absolute
positioning mode or incremental
positioning mode can be used.

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1. Absolute positioning. In this mode, the desired
target position of the tool for a particular move is
given relative to the origin point of the program.

2. Incremental positioning. In this mode, the next

target position for the tool is given relative to the
current tool position.

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 Absolute vs. Incremental
Positioning

Absolute positioning
Move is: x = 40, y = 50

Incremental positioning
Move is: x = 20, y = 30.
 CNC Machine Tool Positioning Modes
Within a given machine axes coordinate system, CNC can be programmed to
locate tool positions in the following modes; incremental and absolute

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 How CNC Works

• Controlled by G and M codes.

• These are number values and co-ordinates.
• Each number or code is assigned to a
particular operation.
• Typed in manually to CAD by machine
operators.
• G&M codes are automatically generated from
different the computer software.
 Tools

• Most are made from

high speed steel (HSS),
tungsten carbide or ceramics.
• Tools are designed to direct waste away from
the material.
• Some tools need coolant such as oil to protect
the tool and work piece.
 Tool Paths, Cutting
and Plotting Motions
• Tool paths describes the route the cutting tool takes.
• Motion can be described as point to point, straight cutting or
contouring.
• Speeds are the rate at which the tool operates e.g. rpm.
• Feeds are the rate at which the cutting tool and work piece
move in relation to each other.
• Feeds and speeds are determined by cutting depth, material
and quality of finish needed. e.g. harder materials need
slower feeds and speeds.
• Rouging cuts remove larger amounts of material than finishing
cuts.
• Rapid traversing allows the tool or work piece to move rapidly
when no machining is taking place.
 Flow of Computer-Aided
CNC Processing
• Develop or obtain the 3D geometric model of the part,
using CAD.
• Decide which machining operations and cutter-path
directions are required (computer assisted).
• Choose the tooling required (computer assisted).
• Run CAM software to generate the CNC part program.
• Verify and edit program.
• Download the part program to the appropriate machine.
• Verify the program on the actual machine and edit if
necessary.
• Run the program and produce the part.

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 CNC programming
Important things to know:

• Coordinate System

• Units, incremental or absolute positioning

• Coordinates: X,Y,Z, RX,RY,RZ
• Feed rate and spindle speed

• Coolant Control: On/Off, Flood, Mist

• Tool Control: Tool and tool parameters
 CNC programming
• Programming consists of a series of instructions in form of letter codes

• Preparatory Codes:
• G codes- Initial machining setup and establishing operating conditions

• N codes- specify program line number to executed by the MCU

• Axis Codes: X,Y,Z - Used to specify motion of the slide along X, Y, Z

direction

• Feed and Speed Codes: F and S- Specify feed and spindle speed

• Tool codes: T – specify tool number

• Miscellaneous codes – M codes For coolant control and other activities

 Programming Key Letters
• O - Program number (Used for program identification)
• N - Sequence number (Used for line identification)
• G - Preparatory function
• X - X axis designation
• Y - Y axis designation
• Z - Z axis designation
• R - Radius designation
• F – Feed rate designation
• S - Spindle speed designation
• H - Tool length offset designation
• D - Tool radius offset designation
• T - Tool Designation
• M - Miscellaneous function
 Explanation of commonly used G
codes
• G00 – Preparatory code to control final position of the tool
and not concerned with the path that is followed in arriving at
the final destination.

• G01 – Tool is required to move in a straight line connecting

current position and final position. Used for tool movement
without any machining- point to point control. (linear
interpolation)

• G02 – Tool path followed is along an arc specified by I, J and K

codes.( circular interpolation)
 N Codes
• Gives an identifying number for each block of
information.

• It is generally good practice to increment each

block number by 5 or 10 to allow additional
blocks to be inserted if future changes are
required.

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 X,Y, and Z Codes
• X, Y, and Z codes are used to specify the
coordinate axis.
• Number following the code defines the
coordinate at the end of the move relative to
an incremental or absolute reference point.

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 I,J, and K Codes
• I, J, and K codes are used to specify the
coordinate axis when defining the center of a
circle.

• Number following the code defines the

respective coordinate for the center of the
circle.

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 F,S, and T Codes
• F-code: used to specify the feed rate

• S-code: used to specify the spindle speed

• T-code: used to specify the tool identification

number associated with the tool to be used in
subsequent operations.

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G02 Circular Interpolation (CW)

• The G02 command requires an

endpoint and a radius in order to
cut the arc.
• I,J, and K are relative to the start
point.

N_ G02 X2 Y1 I0 J-1 F10

or
N_ G02 X2 Y1 R1

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G02 Circular Interpolation (CW)
C i r c u l a r i n t e r p o l a t i o n f r o m A t o B

a b o u t a c i r c l e c e n t e r e d a t C

N 1 0 G 0 2 X 2 0 0 0 0 Y 1 0 0 0 0

2 5 I 5 0 0 0 J 1 5 0 0 0 F 2 5 0 0

I = 5 A C
2 0

I = distance from the start point to the centre of

1 5
arc in X direction
J = 1 5
J = distance from start point to the centre of
1 0 Barc in Y direction

C
5

5 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 3 0
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 F,S, and T Codes
• F-code: used to specify the feed rate

• S-code: used to specify the spindle speed

• T-code: used to specify the tool identification

number associated with the tool to be used in
subsequent operations.

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 Important G codes
G00 Rapid Transverse
G01 Linear Interpolation
G02 Circular Interpolation, CW
G03 Circular Interpolation, CCW
G17 XY Plane,G18 XZ Plane,G19 YZ Plane
G20/G70 Inch units
G21/G71 Metric Units
G40 Cutter compensation cancel
G41 Cutter compensation left
G42 Cutter compensation right
G43 Tool length compensation (plus)
G43 Tool length compensation (plus)
G44 Tool length compensation (minus)
G49 Tool length compensation cancel
G80 Cancel canned cycles
G81 Drilling cycle
G82 Counter boring cycle
G83 Deep hole drilling cycle
G90 Absolute positioning
G91 Incremental positioning
 Important M codes
• M00 Program stop
• M01 Optional program stop
• M02 Program end
• M03 Spindle on clockwise
• M04 Spindle on counterclockwise
• M05 Spindle stop
• M06 Tool change
• M08 Coolant on
• M09 Coolant off
• M10 Clamps on
• M11 Clamps off
• M30 Program stop, reset to start
 Word address format

Each line of program == 1 block

Each block is composed of several instructions, or (words)

Sequence and format of words:

N3 G2 X+1.4 Y+1.4 Z+1.4 I1.4 J1.4 K1.4 F3.2 S4 T4 M2

sequence no destination coordinates dist to center of circle tool

feed rate spindle speed

preparatory function
Other function
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 WORD-ADDRESS CODING
Example CNC Program
Each instruction to the machine consists
• N5 G90 G20 of a letter followed by a number.
• N10 M06 T3
• N15 M03 S1250 Each letter is associated with a specific
• N20 G00 X1 Y1 type of action or piece of information
• N25 Z0.1
• N30 G01 Z-0.125 F5 needed by the machine.
• N35 X3 Y2 F10
• N40 G00 Z1 Letters used in Codes
• N45 X0 Y0
• N50 M05 N,G,X,Y,Z,A,B,C,I,J,K,F,S,T,R,M
• N55 M30

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 Example: A Milling Operation
NC CODE (Word Address Format) SPINDLE
STOP !
N50 G00 X15 Y12.5 Z0 SPINDLE
N55 M03 STARTED !
N60 G01 Z-2.5 F500 M08
N65 G01 X50
N70 G01 Y45
N75 G01 X15
N80 G01 Y12.5
N85 G00 Z0 M09
N90 G79 M04 Z Y
X
(0,0,0)

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 Example of a part program
N001 G91 (incremental)
N002 G71 (metric)

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14.14

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