CNC SYSTEM ELEMENTS NC SYSTEM ELEMENTS

A typical CNC system consists of the

following six elements

 Part program
 Program input device
 Machine control unit
 Drive system
 Machine tool
 Feedback system
1 2

OPERATIONAL
FEATURES
of CNC MACHINES

3
4
 MOTION TYPE
CLASSIFICATION OF NUMERICAL CONTROL
Motion control – (PTP):
point to point control

 Workpiece is moved to a programmed

location with no regard for path taken to
get to that location.
 Once the move is completed, some
processing action is accomplished by
the cutting tool – Examples: drilling or
punching a hole.
 Moving at maximum rate from point to
point.
 Accuracy of the destination is important
but not the path
5 6

CONTROL LOOPS
Motion control - (CP):
continuous path

 Continuous simultaneous
control of more than one
axis, thus controlling path
followed by tool relative
to part.
 Controls both the
displacement and the
velocity.
 Use linear and circular
 In open-loop control system stepper motors are used
interpolators.  Step motors are driven by electric pulses, where every pulse rotates the
motor spindle through a certain amount
 By counting the pulses, the amount of motion can be controlled 8
7
  Open loop refers to a system where the communication
between the controller system and the motor is one way.
 The CNC machine tool of the open-loop control system has a
simple structure and a low cost.
 The system does not monitor the actual displacement of the
moving parts, nor can it perform error correction.
 The stepping motor's out-of-step, step angle error, gear and
screw drive errors will affect the accuracy of the parts being
machined. The closed loop system has a feedback system to monitor the output
 The open-loop control system is only suitable for small and of the motors. Closed systems are also able to correct errors in
medium-sized CNC machine tools with low machining accuracy position, velocity, and acceleration, and also fault the system if the
requirements, especially simple and economical CNC machine error is too large. DC or AC motors are used and suitable for large
tools. size machine tools.
9 10

POWER
SUPPLY

 The closed-loop control CNC machine tool is to install a linear displacement

detecting device on the moving parts of the machine tool, directly detect the
actual displacement of the table, feed back the measured actual
displacement value to the numerical control device, compare it with the input
command displacement value, and use the difference.
 The value controls the machine tool to move the moving parts according to
the actual required displacement, and finally realizes the precise movement
and positioning of the moving parts.
 Theoretically speaking, the motion accuracy of the closed-loop system mainly
depends on the detection accuracy of the detection device, and has nothing
to do with the error of the transmission chain, so its control precision is high.
 Closed-loop control CNC machine tools have high positioning accuracy, but
debugging and maintenance are difficult, the system is complex, and the cost
is high.
11 12
 POSITIONING
SYSTEM

13 14

PART
PROGRAMMING

MANUAL
PROGRAMMING

COMPUTER-AIDED
PROGRAMMING

15 16
 PROGRAM INPUT
DEVICES

Offline programming Conversational programming

linked to CAD/CAM programs by the operator

17 18

MACHINE CONTROL UNIT

The machine control unit (MCU) is the heart of a CNC

system. It is used to perform the following functions:
 Read coded instructions,
 Decode coded instructions,
 Implement interpolations (linear,
circular, and helical) to generate axis
motion commands,
 Feed axis motion commands to the
amplifier circuits for driving the axis
mechanisms,
 Receive the feedback signals of
position and speed for each drive axis,
 Implement auxiliary control functions
such as coolant or spindle on/off, and
tool change.
19