NC part programming using CAD/CAM

• One of the important tasks on a CAD/CAM system is NC part programming. In this method
of part programming, portions of the procedure usually done by the part programmer in
manula part programming are instead done by the computer.
• Two main tasks of the part programmer are:
- Defining the part geometry
- Specifying the tool path
• Advanced CAD/CAM systems automate portions of both of these tasks.

Geometry definition using CAD/CAM

• In a CAD/CAM system, a computer graphics model of the part is developed by the
designer and stored in the CAD/CAM database.
• That model contains all of the geometric, dimensional, and material specifications for the
part.
• The programmer has the capability to retrieve the part geometric model from storage and
use the model to construct the appropriate cutter path.
• The significant advantage of using the CAD/CAM in this way is that it eliminates one of the
time consuming steps in part programming: geometry definition.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)

Geometry definition using CAD/CAM (continued)

• After the part geometry has been retrieved, the usual procedure is to label the geometric
elements that will be used during part programming.
• These labels are the variable names (symbols) given to the lines, circles and surfaces that
comprise the part.
• Most systems have the capacity to automatically label the geometry elements of the part
and to display the labels on the monitor.
• The programmer can then refer to those labeled elements during tool path construction.
• If the NC part programmer does not have access to the database, then the geometry of
the part must be defined by using similar interactive computer graphics techniques that
the product designer would use to design the part.
• Points are defined in a coordinate system using the computer graphics system, lines and
circles are defined from points, surfaces are defined and so forth, to construct a geometric
model of the part.
• The advantage of using the interactive graphics system is that the programmer receives
immediate visual verification of the definitions being created.
• This tends to improve the speed and accuracy of the geometry definition process.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Geometry definition using CAD/CAM (continued)
• The geometry information necessary for part programming varies, depending on the NC machine
to be driven.
• For example, lathe operations (e.g. turning, facing, grooving, and thread cutting) require two
dimensional profile geometry as illustrated in the figure.

• This profile geometry may be obtained directly from a CAD database if the part has been designed
by a computer-aided drafting system built into the integrated CAD/CAM system.
• The user may be required to draw the profile on a separate layer at the beginning.
• Otherwise the NC program within the integrated system will ask the user to isolate interactively the
profile geometry from other entities.
• If the part has been designed by the solid modeling capability of the integrated system, the user
may have to create the 2-D profile geometry by projecting the solid model or by searching the
profile feature used to create the part.
• In either case, some interactive work may be required to define the profile geometry.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Geometry definition using CAD/CAM (continued)
• Similar to lathe operations, 2 axis or 2 ½ axis milling and drilling operations require two
dimensional part geometry.
• For example, profiling and pocketing operations by 2 ½ axis milling as illustrated in the figure
would be provided with the profile geometry from either a 2-D or 3-D database as for lathe
operations.
• Figures (a) and (b) show two types of pocket machining and figure (c) shows the profiling.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Geometry definition using CAD/CAM (continued)
• When the surfaces of a part have to be machined by using 3-axis or 5-axis contouring motion by a
milling machine, geometry information of the surfaces is required.
• This information can be transferred to the NC program if the part has been modeled with a surface
modeling or a solid modeling capability of the integrated system.
• In this case, the user may have to specify interactively the surfaces to be machined (describing
their role as the part surfaces) and to specify their neighboring surfaces (describing their roles as
the drive and check surfaces).
• Even when these interactive operations are involved, the advantages of the integrated CAD/CAM
system will be substantial because defining complicated curved surfaces is difficult.

Tool path generation using CAD/CAM

• The second task of the NC programmer in NC part programming using CAD/CAM is tool path
specification.
• The first step in specifying the tool path is to select the cutting tool for the operation.
• Most CAD/CAM systems have tool libraries that can be called by the programmer to identify what
tools are available in the tool crib.
• The programmer must decide which of the available tools is most appropriate for the operation
under consideration and specify it for the tool path.
• This permits the tool diameter and other dimensions to be entered automatically for tool offset
calculations.
• If the desired cutting tool is not available in the library, an appropriate tool can be specified by the
programmer. It then becomes part of the library for future use.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Tool path generation using CAD/CAM (continued)
• The next step is to identify the desired sequence of machining operations and plan the required
tool path with the proper cutting parameters.
• The tool path is the path that the cutting tool must follow from its home position to machine the
part and return to the home position.
• The tool path is usually repeated more than once as the tool is fed further into the stock to
remove additional material during each pass.
• There are differences in capabilities of the various CAD/CAM systems, which result in different
approaches for generating the tool path.
• The most basic approach involves the use of the interactive graphics system to enter the motion
commands one-by-one.
• Individual statements are entered, and the CAD/CAM system provides an immediate graphic
display of the action resulting from the command, thereby validating the statement.
• A more advanced approach for generating tool path commands is to use one of the automatic
software modules available on the CAD/CAM system.
• These modules have been developed to accomplish a number of common machining cycles for
milling, drilling and turning.
• They are subroutines in the NC programming package that can be called and the required
parameters given to execute the machining cycle.
• Several of these modules are identified in table and the figure shown in the next slide.
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Tool path generation using CAD/CAM (continued)
 NC part programming using CAD/CAM (continued)
Tool path generation using CAD/CAM (continued)
• When the complete part program has been prepared, the CAD/CAM system can provide an
animated simulation of the program for validation purposes.
• This usually involves display of an animation sequence that shows the tool moving along its
generated path, which is superimposed on the part geometry.
• If mistakes are found, the tool path can be modified accordingly and reverified.
• Next a cutter location data (CL data) is produced from the edited tool paths.
• Then the CL data is post-processed to machine code data (MCD), which is transmitted to
the machine tool.
 DNC
• The concept of Direct numerical control (DNC) was developed in 1960s.
• DNC refers to a manufacturing system that uses a central computer to control several machines
simultaneously, as shown in Figure.

• In a direct numerical control, the host computer retrieves the data on the part to be machined from
either its own data storage unit or from an outside source.
• It then sends the instruction blocks of the part program to the NC machines to produce the desired
part.
• This technique relies on the availability of the central computer to serve the machine tools.
• In addition to transmitting data to the machines, the central computer also received data back from
the machines to indicate operating performance in the shop (e.g. number of machining cylces
completed, machine utilization, and breakdowns).
• Thus through DNC, it was possible to achieve two way communication between the machines and
the central computer.
 NC/CNC/DNC (continued)
• Direct numerical control has been superseded by distributed numerical control, in which the central
computer downloads complete programs to CNC machines.
• These machines may hold one or more programs in their local storage and thus are independent of the
central computer.
• The acronym DNC has been used for both direct numerical control and distributed numerical control, but
it has come to imply the latter, as distributed numerical control systems have become popular.
• In some DNC systems, a satellite computer (usually a workstation or a pc) local to each NC machine
can be inserted to increase the speed of the entire system, to handle large computer files, and to expand
the number of machine tools used.
• This configuration is illustrated in Figure below.
• These satellite computers often provide
facilities for reporting machine operation data
to the central computer for the provision of
shop management information.
• The DNC thus permits two way
communication of data between the shop floor
and the central computer, which was one of
the important features included in the direct
numerical control.
 NC/CNC/DNC (continued)
• However, improvements in data collection devices as well as advances in computer and
communication technologies have expanded the range and flexibility of the information that can be
gathered and disseminated.
• Some of the data and information sets included in the two way communication flow are itemized in
the table below.
 NC/CNC/DNC (continued)
• The distributed numerical control systems can take on a variety of physical configurations,
depending on the number of machine tools included, job complexity, security requirements, and
equipment availability and preferences.
• There are several ways to configure a DNC system.

• The switching network as shown in Figure above is the simplest DNC system to configure.
• It uses a data switching box to make a connection from the central computer to a given CNC
machine for downloading part programs or uploading data.
• Transmission of programs to the MCU is accomplished through a RS-232 connection.
• Use of a switching box limits the number of machines that can be included in the DNC system.
• The limit depends on factors such as part program complexity, frequency or service required to
each machine, and capabilities of the central computer.
 NC/CNC/DNC (continued)
• Local area networks have been used for DNC since the early 1980s.
• Various network structures are used in DNC systems, among which is the centralized structure
illustrated in Figure below.

• In this arrangement, the computer systems is organized as a hierarchy, with the central (host)
computer coordinating several satellite computers that are each responsible for a a CNC machine
or a number of CNC machines.