History of CNC machine tools
Abstract
"Science and technology is the first productive force" has become the supreme truth in today's social development, who can master the most cutting-edge and advanced science and technology, who will be able to take the initiative in the development of a huge breakthroughs and achievements.
The advanced manufacturing technology centered on CNC technology is one of the most important symbols of a country's comprehensive national strength.
This article mainly introduces the definition, development stage and history of CNC machine tools, the world's machine tool powerhouses and the development of China's machine tools, and the future direction of the development of CNC machine tools is briefly described to illustrate the importance of CNC machine tools in today's social development.
By searching for relevant information, I deepened my understanding of the mechanical profession, especially CNC machine tools, and at the same time, clarified the development trend of mechatronics in today's society and the direction of the future of further study.
Key Words Development History Machine Tool Power Development Trend
I. Explanation of Terms
Numerical Control, that is, digital control (Numerial Control, abbreviated as NC).
Numerical control technology, or NC technology, refers to digital information (digital quantities and characters) to issue instructions and realize the technology of automatic control.
It is a kind of automatic control technology developed in recent times.
At present, NC technology has become the basic support of modern manufacturing technology, NC technology and NC equipment is an important foundation for the modernization of the manufacturing industry.
Whether this foundation is solid directly affects a country's economic development and comprehensive national strength, related to a country's strategic position.
Therefore, the world's industrialized countries have taken significant measures to develop their own CNC technology and its industry.
Numerical Control Machine Tools (Numerical Control Machine Tools) refers to the use of digital control technology for automatic control of machine tool processing a class of machine tools.
The fifth technical committee of the International Federation of Information Processing defines a numerical control machine tool as "a numerical control machine is a machine tool equipped with a program control system that can logically handle programs with the use of codes or other coded instructions." It is a combination of modern machinery manufacturing technology, automatic control technology and computer information technology, the use of numerical control devices or computers to partially or completely replace the general general-purpose machine tools in the processing of parts in a variety of actions (such as startup, machining sequence, change the amount of cutting, spindle speed, selection of cutting tools, coolant on and off as well as stopping and so on) of the manual control, is a high-efficiency, high-precision, high-flexibility and high-automation of the optical, mechanical and electrical integration of numerical control equipment.
This is a high-efficiency, high-precision, highly flexible and highly automated optical, mechanical and electrical integration of CNC equipment.
Second, the stage of development of CNC systems
In 1946, the birth of the world's first electronic computer, which shows that mankind has created a tool that can enhance and partially replace mental labor.
It is created in agriculture and industrial society with human beings in those who only enhance the physical labor tools, compared to the qualitative leap, for human beings to enter the information society laid the foundation.
Six years later, in 1952, computer technology was applied to machine tools, and the first CNC machine tool was born in the United States.
From then on, the traditional machine tool produced a qualitative change.
Nearly half a century, the CNC system has gone through two stages and six generations of development.
1, numerical control (NC) stage (1952-1970)
Early computer computing speed is low, the impact of scientific computing and data processing at that time is still not great, but can not adapt to the requirements of real-time control of machine tools.
People had to use digital logic circuits "built" into a machine tool-specific computer as a numerical control system, known as hardware connected to the numerical control (HARD-WIRED NC), referred to as numerical control (NC).
With the development of components, this stage has gone through three generations, namely, the first generation in 1952 - electron tubes; the second generation in 1959 - transistors; the third generation in 1965 - small-scale integrated circuits.
2, computer numerical control (CNC) stage (1970 ~ now)
By 1970, the general-purpose minicomputer industry has appeared and mass production.
So it will be transplanted as the core components of the CNC system, from now on into the computer numerical control (CNC) stage (the computer should be in front of the "general" two words omitted).
By 1971, the United States INTEL company in the world for the first time the two most core components of the computer - operator and controller, using large-scale integrated circuit technology integrated on a chip, called microprocessor (MICROPROCESSOR), also known as the Central Processing Unit (referred to as CPU).
By 1974, microprocessors were used in CNC systems.
This is because the minicomputer is too powerful, control a machine tool ability to have rich (so at that time was used to control multiple machine tools, called group control), not as economical and reasonable as the use of microprocessors.
And the reliability of the minicomputer was not ideal.
Early microprocessor speed and functionality is not high enough, but can be solved through the multiprocessor structure.
Since the microprocessor is the core component of a general-purpose computer, it is still called a computer numerical control.
By 1990, the performance of PCs (personal computers, customarily referred to as microcomputers in China) had developed to a very high stage, and could meet the requirements as the core component of the CNC system.
CNC systems have entered the PC-based stage.
In short, the computer numerical control stage has also experienced three generations.
That is, the fourth generation in 1970 - minicomputer; the fifth generation in 1974 - microprocessor and the sixth generation in 1990 - PC-based (known as PC-BASED abroad).
It should also be noted that, although foreign countries have long been renamed computer numerical control (i.e., CNC), while our country is still accustomed to call the numerical control (NC).
So our daily talk of "numerical control", in essence, has been referred to as "computer numerical control".
Third, the history of the development of CNC machine tools
In the mid-20th century, with the development of electronic technology, automatic information processing, data processing and the emergence of electronic computers, automation technology has brought new concepts, digital signals on the machine tool and its machining process control, promote the development of machine tool automation.
The use of digital technology for machining was first realized in the early 1940s by ParsonsCorporation, a small aircraft industry contractor in North Michigan, USA.
When they manufactured the frames of airplanes and the rotating wings of helicopters, they utilized all-digital electronic computers to process data on the machining paths of the wings and took into account the effect of the tool diameter on the machining paths, resulting in machining accuracies of ±0.0381mm (±0.0015in), which was the highest level of machining at the time.
In 1952, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a vertical milling machine, installed a set of experimental CNC system, successfully realized the simultaneous control of three-axis motion.
This CNC machine was known to everyone as the world's first CNC machine.
This machine was an experimental machine, and by November 1954, based on Pearson's patent, the first CNC machine for industrial use was officially produced by the American Bendix Corporation (Bendix-Cooperation).
After this, from 1960, a number of other industrialized countries, such as Germany, Japan have developed, produced and used CNC machine tools.
The first CNC machine tools to emerge and gain access to the use of CNC milling machines, because CNC machines can solve the ordinary machine tools are difficult to handle, the need for contouring of curved or curved parts.
However, because the CNC systems at that time used electronic tubes, which were bulky and consumed a lot of power, they were not popularized for use in other industries, except in the military sector.
By 1960 and beyond, point-controlled CNC machine tools were rapidly developed.
Because point control CNC systems are much simpler than contour control CNC systems.
Therefore, CNC milling machines, punching machines, coordinate boring machines developed in large numbers, according to statistics, by 1966 the actual use of about 6000 CNC machine tools, 85% of the point control machine tools.
The development of CNC machine tools, it is worth mentioning machining centers.
This is a CNC machine with an automatic tool changer, which enables the workpiece to be loaded once and processed in multiple steps.
This product was originally developed in March 1959 by the American Keaney & Trecker Corporation (Keaney & TreckerCorp.).
This machine is equipped with tools such as taps, drills, reamers, milling cutters, etc., in the tool magazine, and automatically selects the tool according to the instructions of the perforating belt, and mounts the tool on the spindle through a manipulator to machine the workpiece.
It reduces the loading and unloading time of the parts on the machine and the time of changing tools.
Machining centers have now become a very important variety of CNC machine tools, not only vertical, horizontal and other boring and milling type of machining centers for box parts machining, as well as turning centers, grinding centers, etc. for rotary overall parts machining.
In 1967, the United Kingdom first several CNC machine tools connected to a flexible processing system, which is known as the flexible manufacturing system (Flexible Manufacturing System&mdash - FMS), the United States, Europe, Japan and other successive development and application. Development and application.
After 1974, with the rapid development of microelectronics technology, microprocessors are directly used in CNC machine tools, so that the software function of CNC is strengthened, and the development of computer numerical control machine tools (referred to as CNC machine tools), to further promote the popularization of the application of CNC machine tools and vigorously develop.
In the 80s, the international emergence of 1 to 4 machining centers or turning centers as the main body, coupled with automatic loading and unloading of workpieces and monitoring and inspection devices of the flexible manufacturing unit (FlexibleManufacturingCell - FMC).
This unit of investment is small, quick results, can be alone for a long time with little supervision operation, can also be integrated into the FMS or more advanced integrated manufacturing system.
At present, the FMS also from the cutting process to the plate cold work, welding, assembly and other areas of expansion, from small batch processing to high-volume processing development.
So machine tool CNC technology, is considered the basic technology of modern machine automation.
Fourth, the world's leading countries and China's development of CNC machine tools
The United States, Germany, Japan and three countries in the world today in the scientific research, design, manufacture and use of CNC machine tools, the most technologically advanced, the most experienced countries.
Because of their different social conditions, each with its own characteristics.
The United States: the development of machine tools to basic scientific research
The United States is characterized by *** emphasis on the machine tool industry, the U.S. Department of Defense and other departments due to its military needs and constantly put forward the direction of the development of machine tools, scientific research tasks, and to provide adequate funding, and network of the world's talented people, pay special attention to the efficiency and innovation, focusing on basic scientific research.
As a result, continuous innovation in machine tool technology, such as the development of the world's first CNC machine tools in 1952, 1958, the creation of machining centers, the development of FMS in the early 1970s, 1987, the first open CNC system.
As the United States first combined with the automobile, bearing production needs, the full development of a large number of mass production automation required for the automatic line, and electronic, computer technology in the world's leading, so its CNC machine tool host design, manufacturing and CNC system based on a solid foundation, and has always attached importance to scientific research and innovation, so its high-performance CNC machine tool technology in the world has also been leading.
Today, the United States not only produces high-performance CNC machine tools for aerospace and other uses, but also for small and medium-sized enterprises to produce inexpensive and practical CNC machine tools.
Such as Haas, Fadal and so on.
The United States in the development of CNC machine tools on the existence of the lesson is that the focus on basic scientific research, ignoring the application of technology, and in the last century, the 80th generation *** a time to relax the guidance, resulting in a slow increase in the production of CNC machine tools in 1982 by the backward Japan more than, and a large number of imports.
From the 90's, to correct the past bias, CNC machine tool technology to practical, production and gradually rise.
Germany: machine tool development focus on practical
Germany *** Consistently attach importance to the strategic importance of the machine tool industry, especially practical and effective, and adhere to the people-oriented, master and apprentice, and constantly improve the quality of personnel.
In the development of a large number of mass production automation based on the development of the first CNC machine tools in 1956 has been adhering to the spirit of seeking truth from facts, and continue to make steady progress.
Germany pays special attention to scientific experimentation, the combination of theory and practice, basic scientific research and applied technical research.
Enterprises and university research departments work closely with the user products, processing technology, machine layout and structure, CNC machine tools **** nature and characteristics of the problem of in-depth research, quality excellence.
Germany's CNC machine tools of good quality and performance, advanced and practical, genuine, exports around the world, especially large, heavy, precision CNC machine tools.
Germany attaches special importance to the host of CNC machine tools and ancillary parts of the advanced and practical, its mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, gas, light, cutting tools, measurement, CNC systems, a variety of functional components, in terms of quality, performance at the forefront of the world.
Such as Siemens CNC system and Heidenhain's precision grating are world-famous, competing for adoption.
Japan: machine tool development first imitation after the creation
Japan *** on the development of the machine tool industry attaches great importance to the development of planning, regulations (such as machine vibration law, electromechanical law, machine letter law, etc.) put forward the direction of the development of Japan's numerical control machine tool industry, and to provide adequate funding for research and development, to encourage scientific research institutes and enterprises to vigorously develop numerical control machine tools.
Japan in the emphasis on human resources and machine tool components supporting the study of Germany, in the quality management and CNC machine tool technology to learn from the United States, and improve and develop the results of the two countries, and achieved very good results, and even more than blue and better than blue.
Japan is also similar to the United States and Germany, the full development of a large number of mass production automation, followed by the full development of small and medium-sized batch of flexible production automation of CNC machine tools.
Since the development of the first CNC machine tools in 1958, the 1978 production (7342 units) more than the United States (5688 units), and so far production, exports have been in the world's first place (production of 46,604 units in 2001, exports of 27,409 units, accounting for 59%).
Strategy to imitate and then create, Mr. production of large and wide range of mid-range CNC machine tools, a large number of exports, accounting for the world's vast market.
In the 1980s began to further strengthen scientific research, to the development of high-performance CNC machine tools.
In terms of strategy, first of all, through the study of the United States of America's total quality management into a consciously all the activities of the staff to ensure product quality, and then accelerate the development of electronic and computer technology into the forefront of the world for the development of electromechanical integration of CNC machine tools to open the way.
Japan in the development of CNC machine tools in the process, pay close attention to the key, highlighting the development of CNC systems.
Japan's FANUC company strategy is correct, the combination of imitation and creation, targeted at the development of the market needs a variety of low, medium and high-grade CNC system, leading in technology, the world's first in terms of production.
The company's existing staff of 3,674 people, more than 600 scientific researchers, the monthly production capacity of 7,000 sets of sales in the world market accounted for 50% of the domestic accounted for about 70% of the acceleration of Japan and the world's development of CNC machine tools played a significant role in promoting.
China's development status
China's development of CNC technology began in the 1950s, China developed the first CNC machine tool in 1958, the development process can be roughly divided into two major stages.
In 1958 ~ 1979 for the first stage, from 1979 to the present for the second stage.
The first stage of the characteristics of CNC machine tools, the lack of understanding of the development conditions, in the case of poor personnel quality, weak foundation, supporting parts are not off, a rush and a rush and down, there have been three ups and three downs, and ultimately, because of poor performance, can not be used in the production of a halt.
The main problem is the blindness, the lack of scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts.
In the second phase from Japan, Germany, the United States, Spain has introduced CNC system technology, from Japan, the United States, Germany, Italy, Britain, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, South Korea, Taiwan Province of **** 11 countries (regions) to introduce advanced CNC machine tool technology and cooperation, joint venture production, to solve the problem of reliability and stability of the CNC machine tools began to be formally produced and used, and gradually move forward.
Through the "Sixth Five-Year Plan" during the introduction of CNC technology, "Seventh Five-Year Plan" during the organization of digestion and absorption of "scientific and technological research", China's CNC technology and CNC industry has made considerable progress. The results.
Especially in recent years, the rapid development of China's CNC industry, 1998-2004 domestic CNC machine tool production and consumption of an average annual growth rate of 39.3% and 34.9%.
Nevertheless, the development momentum of imported machine tools is still strong, from 2002 onwards, China for three consecutive years to become the world's largest consumer of machine tools, machine tool imports, the first major country in 2004, China's consumption of machine tools up to $ 9.46 billion in host consumption, the domestic CNC machine tool manufacturers in the mid- to high-grade and large-scale CNC machine tool research and development with foreign countries, the gap between the gap more obvious, more than 70% of such equipment and the vast majority of the functionality of the equipment. Such equipment and the vast majority of functional components are dependent on imports.
It can be seen that the domestic CNC machine tools, especially high-end CNC machine tools still lack of market competitiveness, the main reason for this is that the depth of research and development of domestic CNC machine tools is not enough, the manufacturing level is still backward, the lack of service awareness and capacity, CNC, system production and application of promotion is not enough and the lack of CNC personnel.
We should see the situation clearly, fully aware of the shortcomings of the domestic CNC machine tools, efforts to develop advanced technology, increase technological innovation and training services to shorten the gap with the developed countries.
In more than 20 years, the design and manufacturing technology of CNC machine tools has improved greatly, mainly in three major areas: training a number of design, manufacturing, use and maintenance of personnel; through the production of advanced CNC machine tools through cooperation, so that the level of design, manufacturing, use greatly improved, narrowing the gap with the world's advanced technology; through the use of foreign advanced components, CNC systems supporting the beginning of the design and manufacture of high-speed, high-performance, five-face And manufacturing high-speed, high-performance, five-sided or five-axis linkage processing of CNC machine tools, supplying the domestic market demand, but the test of key technologies, digestion, mastery and innovation is poor.
So far, many important functional components, automation tools, CNC systems rely on foreign technical support, can not be developed independently, basically in the phase from imitation to self-development, and the level of Japan's CNC machine tools is a big gap.
The main problems include: the lack of Japan's mechanical and electrical law, machine letter law as a guide; a serious lack of experts in all aspects of talent and skilled workers; the lack of in-depth systematic scientific research; components and CNC systems do not support; lack of cooperation between enterprises and professional, basically alone, although many people, but the formation of synergies.
Since 2003, China has become the world's largest consumer of machine tools, but also the world's largest importer of CNC machine tools.
Currently improving the CNC rate of machining equipment, in 1999, our country's CNC rate of machining equipment is 5-8%, is currently expected to be between 15-20%.
At present, the state has formulated a number of policies to encourage national use of domestic CNC machine tools, manufacturers are also trying to catch up.
Domestic buy the most machine tools are military enterprises, a purchase plan, 80% is imported, domestic machine tools can not meet the needs.
In the next five years, this trend will not change.
However, in terms of the current domestic needs, China's CNC machine tools can now meet the orders of low-end products.
V. Trends in the future development of CNC
The application of CNC technology not only to the traditional manufacturing industry has brought about a revolutionary change in the manufacturing industry as a symbol of industrialization, and with the continuous development of CNC technology and the expansion of the field of application, he is on the national economy of the people's livelihood of a number of important industries (IT, automotive, light industry, medical, etc.) of the development of the role of more and more important, because of these The digitalization of the equipment required by the industry has been a major trend in modern development.
From the world's current trends in the development of CNC technology and its equipment, its main research hotspots are the following aspects.
1, high-speed, high-precision machining technology and equipment for the new trend
Efficiency, quality is the main body of advanced manufacturing technology.
High-speed, high-precision machining technology can greatly improve efficiency, improve product quality and grade, shorten the production cycle and improve market competitiveness.
For this reason, Japan's Advanced Technology Research Institute will be listed as one of the five modern manufacturing technology, the International Production Engineering Society (CIRP) will be identified as one of the central research direction of the 21st century.
In the field of car industry, the annual output of 300,000 units of the production beat is 40 seconds / vehicle, and multi-species processing is one of the key issues that must be resolved in the car equipment; in the field of aviation and aerospace industry, the processing of parts and components are mostly thin-walled and thin tendons, stiffness is very poor, the material for the aluminum or aluminum alloy, only in the case of high cutting speeds and very small cutting force, in order to be able to process these tendons and walls.
Recently, the use of large whole aluminum alloy billet "hollowing" method to manufacture wings, fuselage and other large parts to replace the multiple parts through a large number of rivets, screws, and other means of coupling assembly, so that the strength of the component, stiffness and reliability has been improved.
These are on the processing equipment put forward high-speed, high-precision and highly flexible requirements.
From the EMO2001 exhibition, high-speed machining centers feed speed up to 80m/min, or even higher, empty running speed up to 100m/min or so.
At present, many automobile factories in the world, including China's Shanghai General Motors, has been used to high-speed machining centers composed of production lines to partially replace the combination of machine tools.
The United States CINCINNATI HyperMach machine tool feed speed up to 60m/min, fast 100m/min, acceleration up to 2g, the spindle speed has reached 60,000r/min.
Processing of a thin-walled aircraft parts, only 30min, and the same parts in the general high-speed milling machine processing needs 3h, in the ordinary milling machine processing needs 8h;
Processing of a thin-walled aircraft parts, only 30min, and the same parts in general high-speed milling machine processing needs 3h, in the Ordinary milling machine processing takes 8h; Germany DMG company's double spindle lathe spindle speed and acceleration were up to 12 *!000r/mm and 1g.
In terms of machining accuracy, in the past 10 years, the general level of CNC machine tool machining accuracy has been increased from 10μm to 5μm, precision level machining centers from 3 to 5μm, increased to 1 ~ 1.5μm, and ultra-precision machining Precision has begun to enter the nanometer level (0.01μm).
In terms of reliability, the MTBF value of foreign CNC devices has reached more than 6,000h, and the MTBF value of the servo system has reached more than 30,000h, showing very high reliability.
2, axis linkage processing and composite processing machine tools rapid development
The use of 5-axis linkage on the processing of three-dimensional curved parts, the best available tool geometry for cutting, not only high finish, but also a substantial increase in efficiency.
It is generally believed that the efficiency of a 5-axis machine tool can be equal to two 3-axis machine tools, especially the use of cubic boron nitride and other super-hard materials such as milling cutters for high-speed milling of hardened steel parts, 5-axis machining can be compared to the 3-axis machining to play a higher degree of efficiency.
But in the past, because of the 5-axis linkage CNC system, the host structure is complex and other reasons, its price is several times higher than the 3-axis linkage CNC machine tools, coupled with the programming technology is more difficult to constrain the development of 5-axis linkage machine tools.
At present, due to the emergence of electric spindle, making the realization of 5-axis linkage machining composite spindle head structure is greatly simplified, its manufacturing difficulties and costs significantly reduced, the price gap between the CNC system to narrow.
Therefore, the composite spindle head type 5-axis linkage machine tools and composite processing machine tools (including 5-sided processing machine tools) development.
At EMO2001, NIPPON KOKI's 5-face machining machine with a composite spindle head can realize 4 vertical planes and any angle machining, which makes 5-face and 5-axis machining possible on the same machine, and can also realize tilting surfaces and inverted taper holes machining.
Germany's DMG displayed DMUVoution series machining centers, can be in a single clamping under the 5-sided machining and 5-axis linkage machining, can be controlled by the CNC system or CAD / CAM direct or indirect control.
3, intelligent, open, networked to become a major trend in the development of contemporary CNC systems
21st century CNC equipment will be a certain degree of intelligence of the system, the content of intelligence, including all aspects of the CNC system: the pursuit of machining efficiency and quality of machining intelligence, such as adaptive control of the machining process, the automatic generation of process parameters; in order to improve the drive performance and ease of use of the connection of intelligence. Performance and the use of connectivity to facilitate the intelligent, such as feed-forward control, adaptive operation of motor parameters, automatic load recognition automatically selected model, self-tuning, etc.; simplify the programming, simplify the operation of the intelligent, such as intelligent automatic programming, intelligent human-machine interface, etc.; there are also intelligent diagnostics, intelligent monitoring of the contents of the system to facilitate the diagnosis and maintenance, and so on.
In order to solve the traditional closed CNC system and CNC application software industrialized production problems.
At present, many countries
research on open systems.
The openness of the CNC system has become the future of the CNC system.
The so-called open CNC system is the development of CNC systems can be in a unified operating platform for machine tool manufacturers and end-users, by changing, increasing or tailoring the structure of the object (CNC function), the formation of a series, and can be easily integrated into the control system of the user's special applications and know-how to quickly realize different varieties of different grades of open CNC system, the formation of a distinctive brand-name products. distinctive personality of the brand-name products.
At present, the open CNC system architecture specification, communication specification, configuration specification, operation platform, CNC system function library and CNC system function software development tools is the core of the current research.
Networked CNC equipment is a new highlight of the international famous machine tool exposition in the past two years.
Networking of CNC equipment will greatly meet the production line, manufacturing system, manufacturing enterprises on the demand for information integration, but also the realization of new manufacturing models such as agile manufacturing, virtual enterprises, global manufacturing base unit.
Domestic and foreign some of the famous CNC machine tools and CNC system manufacturing companies have launched in the past two years the relevant new concepts and prototypes, such as in the EMO2001 exhibition, Japan's Yamazaki Mazak (Mazak) company exhibited the "CyberProduction Center" (Intelligent Production Control Center, referred to as CPC). Control Center, referred to as CPC); Japan's Okuma (Okuma) Machine Tool Company exhibited "IT plaza" (Information Technology Plaza, referred to as IT Plaza); Germany's Siemens (Siemens) company exhibited Open Manufacturing Environment (Open Manufacturing Environment, referred to as OME), and so on. Environment, referred to as OME), reflecting the trend of CNC machine tool processing to the direction of network development.
4, pay attention to the establishment of new technology standards, norms
(1) on the design and development of CNC system specifications
As mentioned earlier, the open CNC system has a better versatility, flexibility, adaptability, scalability, the United States, the European **** body and Japan have to implement the strategic development plan, and open architecture CNC system specification (OMAC. OSACA, OSEC), OSACA, OSEC) research and development, the world's three largest economies in a short period of time to carry out almost the same scientific program and the development of norms, heralding the advent of a new period of change in CNC technology.
China also began research and development of a specification framework for ONC CNCs in China in 2000.
(2) About CNC standards
CNC standards are a trend in the development of manufacturing information technology.
CNC technology after the birth of 50 years of information exchange are based on the ISO6983 standard, that is, the use of G, M code to describe how (how) processing, its essential feature is oriented to the processing process, it is clear that he has been increasingly unable to meet the needs of the high-speed development of modern CNC technology.
To this end, the international research and development of a new CNC system standard ISO14649 (STEP-NC), which aims to provide a neutral mechanism that does not depend on a specific system, can describe the entire life cycle of the product within a unified data model, so as to achieve the entire manufacturing process, and even the various industrial areas of product information. standardization.
The emergence of STEP-NC may be a revolution in the field of CNC technology, for the development of CNC technology and even the entire manufacturing industry, will have a profound impact.
First of all, STEP-NC puts forward a new manufacturing concept, the traditional manufacturing concept, NC machining programs are concentrated in a single computer.
And under the new standard, NC programs can be dispersed over the Internet, which is the direction of open and networked development of CNC technology.
Secondly, the STEP-NC CNC system can also greatly reduce the machining drawings (about 75%), machining programming time (about 35%) and machining time (about 50%).
At present, Europe and the United States attaches great importance to the research of STEP-NC, Europe launched the IMS program of STEP-NC (1999.1.1 ~ 2001.12.31).
Participating in this program are 20 CAD/CAM/CAPP/CNC users, vendors and academic institutions from Europe and Japan.
The U.S.-based STEP Tools, a developer of data exchange software for the manufacturing industry on a global scale, has developed the Super Model for the exchange of information on CNC machine tool machining, with the goal of describing all machining processes in a uniform specification.
The new data exchange format has been validated on prototypes equipped with SIEMENS, FIDIA, and European OSACA-NC CNCs.