Category: Manufacturing Systems: NC, CNC, AND DNC

Direct numerical control (DNC) can be defined as a manufacturing system in which a number of machines are controlled by computer through direct connection and in real time. The tape reader is omitted in DNC, thus relieving the system of its least reliable component. Instead of using the tape reader, the part program is transmitted…

NC machines offered a reliable way of producing machine parts using pre-programmed commands. These commands consisted of alphanumeric characters defined by the RS233 IEEE code. These characters were coded on punch paper tape in formats specifically planned for a certain machine tool. These programs (punched tape) would then be read into the NC control using…

CNC part programming may be accomplished in different ways, such as Manual Part Programming: Manual part programming is the oldest method and still quite popular. This technique requires the programmer to examine a part drawing then ‘manually’ calculate all tool paths. This information is recorded on a manuscript. A punched tape is prepared from the manuscript.…

The appearance of CNC system is very similar to NC system but the way of using the program is different. In a conventional NC system, the punched tape is cycled through the tape reader for each work part in the batch. The machine control unit reads in a block of instructions on the tape executing…

Numerical control can be defined as a form of programmable automation in which the machining process is controlled by numbers, letters, and symbols. NC technology has been applied for a wide variety of operations but principal application is in machining operations. An operational NC system consists of the following three basic components: The program of…

CAM is mainly used for manufacturing planning and control. In manufacturing planning computer is used indirectly to provide information for the effective planning and management of production activities. The computer is used for the following planning activities: Manufacturing control is concerned with managing and controlling the physical operations in the factory to implement the manufacturing…

CAD can be defined as any design activity that involves the effective use of computer to create, modify, and document an engineering design. There are four phases of CAD: The first phase is geometric modelling. It is concerned with mathematical description of the geometry of an object. The mathematical description called a model is contained…