A System for Direct Numerical Control of Machine Tool

Summary

Systems for direct numerical control (DNC) include usually a small high-speed real time electronic computer, communicating directly with the NC machines to be controlled by means of a dispatcher. The computer used in the DNC-system NC 700 has a capacity of core storage of 16 K words. Software and hardware are in modular structure to control units up to six machine tools of varied manufacture and type. All control data are located on a magnetic tape. The data output is initiated by the NC machine tools and requires an intermediate storing device, here a part of the core memory. In addition to the dispatching function, the DNC system includes programs in order to register and to work up production data. The basic DNC program is completed by a number of user programs. All part-programs are stored on a magnetic tape and so, for instance, are easy to bring up to date. In the last few months such systems have been presented in the USA, Japan and Western Europe and should be installed in such factories where many NC machine tools are to be controlled. Because of the automatic information flow and by simplifying the control units of the machine tools, DNC can be used economically.