INTRODUCTION TO NUMERICAL CONTROL

NUMERICAL CONTROL (NC)

Numerical Control (NC) is a type of programmable automation in which the processing equipment is controlled by means of numbers, letters, and other symbols. The numbers, letters and symbols are coded in an appropriate format to define a program of instructions for a particular work piece or job

When the job changes, the program of instructions is changed

The applications of NC technology is divided into two broad categories:

1) Machine tool applications such as drilling, milling, turning and other metal working 2) Non-Machine tool applications such as assembly and inspection

Basic Components of NC
A NC system consists of the following three basic components: Program of instructions Machine Control Unit (MCU) Processing Equipment The program is fed into the control unit which directs the processing equipment accordingly

Basic Components of NC
Program of Instructions The program of instructions is the detailed step-by-step commands that direct the processing equipment The commands refer to the position of the machine tool spindle with respect to the worktable on which the part is fixtured They also include the selection of spindle speeds, cutting tools and other functions The program is coded on a suitable medium for submission to the machine control unit

Basic Components of NC
Machine Control Unit (MCU) The MCU consists of the electronics and control hardware that read and interpret the program of instructions and convert it into mechanical actions of the machine tool or other processing equipment

Basic Components of NC
Processing Equipment It is the component that performs useful work In the most common example of NC, one that perform machining operations The processing equipment consists of the worktable and spindle as well as the motors and controls needed to drive them

Coordinate System in NC
NC Drill Machine Generally the drill spindle is in a fixed horizontal position and the table is moved relative to the spindle However, from part programming perspective, the viewpoint is adapted that the workpiece is stationary while the tool is moved relative to it. Accordingly the numerical control coordinate system is defined with respect to the machine tool table. Two axes , x any y are defined in the plane of the table while the z axes is perpendicular to this plane and movement in the z direction is controlled by the vertical motion of the spindle.

Coordinate System in NC
NC Milling Machine A NC Milling machine and similar machine tools use an axis system similar to that of drill machines. However, in addition to the three linear axes, these machines may possess the capacity to control one or more rotational axes.

Coordinate System in NC
NC Lathe Machine For NC lathe machine two axes are normally all that are required to command the movement of the tool relative to the rotating workpiece. The z axis is the axis of rotation of the work part, and the x axis defines the radial location of the cutting tool.

Fixed Zero Versus Floating Zero Absolute Versus Incremental Positioning

TYPES OF NC SYSTEMS
The NC system must possess a means of controlling the relative movement of the tool with respect to the work. There are three types of motion control used in NC: 1) 2) 3) Point-to-point ( PTP ) Straight Cut Contouring

Point-to-point NC
Point-to-point is also sometimes called a positioning system In PTP, the objective of the machine tool control system is to move the cutting tool to a pre-defined location The speed or path by which this movement is accomplished is not important in PTP NC. Once the tool reaches the desired location, the machining operation is performed at that position NC Drill presses are good example of PTP systems The spindle must first be positioned at a particular location o the workpiece. This is done under PTP control Then, the drilling of the hole is done at that location, the tool is moved to the next hole location, and so on. Since no cutting is performed between holes, there is no need for controlling the relative motion of the tool and workpiece between hole locations.

Straight Cut NC
Straight-cut control systems are capable of moving the cutting tool parallel to one of the major axes at a controlled rate suitable for machining It is therefore appropriate for performing milling operations to fabricate workpieces of rectangular configurations With this type of NC systems it is not possible to combine movements in more than a single axis direction Therefore angular cuts on the workpiece would not be possible

Contouring NC
Contouring is the most complex, the most flexible and the most expensive type of machine tool control It is the one in which the motion in more than one axis is controlled simultaneously and continuously Contouring systems are also called continuous path systems

Position & Motion Control in an NC system

The data read into the MCU through the tape reader define machine table positions corresponding to the axes of the machine tool Each axis is equipped with a drive unit such as dc motor or stepping motor The drive unit is connected to the table by means of a lead screw Rotation of the motor causes the lead screw to turn, which results in linear movement of the table The pitch of the lead screw determines the distance traveled by table on each revolution of the motor.

Open/Closed Loop Axis Positioning System

The axis positioning system may be designed as either open loop or a closed loop system The difference between the two is in the absence or presence of feedback measurements to verify the axis positions of the machine tool table

Open Loop NC System

Open loop system is one that does not use feedback signals to indicate the table position to the controller unit Open loop systems typically use stepping motors ( driven and controlled by a electric pulse train generated by the MCU ) Each pulse drives the stepping motor by a fraction of one revolution, called the step angle. The allowable step angles on the stepping motor are determined by the relation

360 ns

where ns is the total number of step angles

Open Loop NC System

The angle of rotation of the stepping motor in response to a pulse train is equal to the number of pulses multiplied by the step angle Angle of rotation = P where P is the number of pulses received by the motor or Angle of rotation = fpt where fp is the pulse rate and t is the duration of the pulse train The rotational speed S of the motor can be determined by the following equation:

60 f p ns

Homework
Example 8.1 Closed Loop System Optical Encoder (Feedback sensor)