Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computer Numerical Control

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering

  • 135 Accesses

Synonyms

CNC; Feed drives; Interpolation; Servo control; Trajectory generation

Definition

Computer numerical control (CNC) means the digital control of machine tool units that consist of series of integrated mechanical actuators, electrical or electrohydraulic servomotors, power amplifiers, position and velocity sensors, and a dedicated computer running under a real-time operating system.

Theory and Application

Introduction

CNC systems control the moving units of a machine tool. The moving units are classified under feed and spindle drives, and auxiliary components such as tool and pallet changers, coolant pumps, and chip conveyors. Feed and spindle drives require smooth position, speed, and acceleration control which are carried out by the trajectory generation and digital control algorithms executed in fixed time intervals by dedicated computers. The auxiliary units are activated by programmable logical controllers (PLCs) that operate on the basis of ON/OFF logic (Altintas 2000).

Feed...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Altintas Y (2012) Manufacturing automation. 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Altintas Y, Verl A, Brecher C, Uriarte L, Pritschow G (2011) Machine tool feed drives. Ann CIRP 60(2):779–796

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koren Y, Lo CC (1992) Advanced controllers for feed drives. Ann CIRP 41(2):689–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pritschow G (1998) A comparison of linear and conventional electromechanical drives. Ann CIRP 47(2):541–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pritschow G, Altintas Y, Jovane F, Koren Y, Mitsuishi M, Takata S, Van Brussel H, Weck M, Yamazaki K (2001) Open controller architecture: past, present and future. Ann CIRP 50(2):446–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Science, Department Mechanical Engineering/MAL- Manufacturing Automation Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Yusuf Altintas

Authors
  1. Yusuf Altintas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yusuf Altintas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering, paris, France

    The International Academy for Production

Section Editor information

  1. Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen, Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Hans-Christian Möhring

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 CIRP

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Altintas, Y. (2018). Computer Numerical Control. In: The International Academy for Production (eds) CIRP Encyclopedia of Production Engineering. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35950-7_6524-4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35950-7_6524-4

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35950-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35950-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Societies and partnerships

Search

Navigation