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Common Applications of Computer Numerical
Control
Depending on how you want it to perform, more complex
designs can be made and a lot of things can be made in a shorter
period of time, therefore the key concept for the proper use of CNC’s is that the machine
operator must know what he or she wants to do.
Manufacturing anything that requires exact measurements
requires cutting edge precision and nimbleness from the worker.
Most of the time manufacturing these kinds of products requires
weeks or months to finish therefore slowing down productivity as
well as consistency of the manufacturers.
Computer Numerical Control or more commonly called as CNC’s are
the new trend in machine shop manufacturing and practice. Any
manufacturing environment owns one or is basically acquainted to
this kind of device because of its capability to increase
productivity as well as consistency on the products being
produced.
Benchmarked from Numerical Control (NC) during the late 50’s,
Computer Numerical Control incorporate the functionality of a
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), meaning you could program
it to execute different functions depending on the type of
manufacturing that the industry needs.
Given this kind of quality what does the Computer Numerical
Control do in the practical application concept? CNC can do a
variety of things depending on how the machine operator would
program the system. The more acquainted the machine operator is
to the CNC machine the more complex applications as well as
programming can be made. Practical applications of CNC range
from drilling, lathes, multi-axis spindles, milling machines,
laser cutting machines, and wire electrical discharge machines.
Let’s discuss some of these common applications further. In
Metal fabrication, Computer Numerical controlled Lathe’s are
used to fabricate metal sheet by shearing, flame or plasma
cutting, punching, laser cutting, forming and welding. Most CNC
Lathe’s are used for designing modern carbide tooling. The
design could be created with the Computer Aided Manufacturing
(CAM) process, and when done, the CNC could start creating the
product automatically with little supervision from the machine
operator.
Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the process of removing
metal with the use of electrical sparks to take away the metal.
These Electrical Discharge Machine has two types, the vertical
EDM and wire EDM. Vertical EDM uses an electrode that is the
shape of the cavity to be machined into a work piece. Wire EDM
is used to create punch and die combinations in the fabrication
industry. Computer Numerical Control EDM’s are not usually known
because it is mostly incorporated to other CNC process.
Drilling is the most common machine process. Computer Numerical
Controlled Drilling is used to create precise right circular
cylinders over a certain material, the CNC could be programmed
to create holes on different standards, most of the time this is
the gaps between these holes. Drilling is commonly used in wood
working manufacturing process in which other process is also
involved such as milling, turning and grinding.
Several tools for creating holes with CNC’s involve varied hole
sizes as well as drill press for creating different depths on
its holes. CNC drills are equipped depending on the type of hole
that the machine operator is drilling.
Applications stated above are just a few examples on what the
Computer Numerical Control could execute. Depending on how you
want it to perform, more complex designs can be made and a lot
of things can be made in a shorter period of time, therefore the
key concept for the proper use of CNC’s is that the machine
operator must know what he or she wants to do.
This makes the CNC an indispensable tool for the Manufacturing
Industry nowadays.
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