While traditional NC programming became popular in the metalworking industry in the 1950s, a primitive version of the punch-card system had already been developed in the nineteenth century, when it was used to operate textile looms and player pianos on a similar, yet much simpler, concept.
The method of numbered tape-controlled machining was first introduced in 1949 by a numerically operated toolmaker's lathe, but manufacturer's reaction to the new technology was mixed. Following WWII, the United States Air Force looked for a way to improve current fabrication methods by incorporating greater part design precision. As a result of this hunt, John Parsons, president of Parsons Works in Traverse City, Michigan, devised a by-the-numbers manufacturing technique involving servo controls. Positional data was input into a computing device that drove the servo control system. Manual processes were sped up, and machining accuracy was improved, thanks to the new system.
Between 1949 and 1952, Parsons collaborated with MIT on the creation of an experimental machine capable of numerically controlled contour milling. The electronics industry had not yet developed support systems to assist in the integration of the new machines, and mass-producing Parson's technology was impractical at the time. In 1952, however, a three-axis numerically guided milling demonstration was successfully completed in front of military, aerospace, machining, and media representatives. By 1964, there were over 35,000 numerically operated machines in use around the country.
From Punch Tape to Software Programs, there has been a long and winding path. NC punch tape cards were originally produced on a typewriter-like computer known as a "flexowriter." Punch cards were fed into a large control unit next to the machinery and imprinted with a programming sequence known as G-Code, which was named after the company that invented it, Gerber Scientific Instruments.
Until the late 1960s, when the first computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines were introduced, NC machines were the industry standard. CNC technology followed the same concepts as the original numerical protocol scheme, but it used more sophisticated computer software programs to replace the punch and paper process. NC machining was soon supplanted by this new programming technology as the industry standard. CNC machining also served as the basis for later processes including computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) (CAM). Although CAD/CAM design services are conceptually similar to the 1952 machining punch card system, they give today's manufacturers more versatility in their operations.
Vacuum tubes and mechanical relays were used as the primary controller sets in numerically operated devices in the 1950s and 1960s. The controllers were “point A to point B” locators that worked on two axes at the time. Today's high-density integrated circuits, on the other hand, can generate three-dimensional shapes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Modern controllers now have the ability to communicate with the user as well as store and analyze program data.
CNC machinery with advanced capabilities can automatically track the quality of the work being done and relay its findings to other parts of the machining process, such as the loading and unloading phase. If a flaw or deviation from the intended product design is detected, the controller may often make a real-time adjustment by removing dull tools or notifying the manufacturer of any problems. This degree of automation illustrates a crucial distinction between the two conceptually related programming methods: while NC controllers must operate within the boundaries of basic, direct tasks, CNC programming allows machinery to interpret data and adapt to changing circumstances.
