6 development trends of CNC machine tools

With the continuous development of the world's advanced manufacturing technology, the application of ultra-high speed cutting, ultra-precision machining and other technologies, the rapid development of flexible manufacturing system and the continuous maturity of computer integrated system, the CNC machining technology has been put forward higher requirements. Today's CNC machine tool industry will develop towards the following 6 trends:

1. Multi-functional

Equipped with automatic tool changing mechanism (tool library capacity can reach more than 100) all kinds of machining center, can realize milling, boring, drilling, turning, reaming, reaming, tapping and other processes on the same machine tool at the same time, modern CNC machine tools also use multi-spindle, polyhedral cutting, that is, at the same time to a part of different parts of different ways of cutting. Numerical control system because of the use of multi-CPU structure and hierarchical interrupt control mode, can be in a machine tool simultaneously parts processing and programming, to achieve the so-called "front processing, background editing". In order to adapt to the requirements of flexible manufacturing system and computer integrated system, the CNC system has a long-distance serial interface, and can even be networked to realize the data communication between CNC machine tools, and can also directly control multiple CNC machine tools.

2. High speed, high precision

Speed and precision are two important indexes of NC machine tools, which are directly related to machining efficiency and product quality. At present, the numerical control system uses the number of digits, the higher frequency of the processor, in order to improve the basic computing speed of the system. At the same time, large scale integrated circuit and multi-microprocessor structure are used to improve the data processing capacity of the system, that is, to improve the speed and precision of interpolation operation. The linear servo feed mode of machine tool table driven directly by linear motor has superior high speed and dynamic response characteristics. The feedforward control technology can greatly reduce the tracking lag error and improve the machining accuracy of corner cutting. In order to meet the requirements of ultra-high speed machining, CNC machine tool adopts the structure of spindle motor and machine tool spindle as one, realizing the integration of variable frequency motor and machine tool spindle. The bearings of spindle motor adopt the form of maglev bearing, liquid hydrostatic bearing or ceramic rolling bearing. At present, ceramic tool and diamond coating tool have begun to be applied.

3. Intelligence

Modern CNC machine tools will introduce adaptive control technology, according to the change of cutting conditions, automatically adjust the working parameters, so that the processing process can maintain the best working state, so as to get higher machining accuracy and smaller surface roughness, but also can improve the service life of the tool and the production efficiency of equipment. With self-diagnosis, self-repair function, in the whole working state, the system at any time to the CNC system itself and its connected with a variety of equipment for self-diagnosis, inspection. Once the fault occurs, immediately adopt the shutdown and other measures, and fault alarm, prompt the fault location, reason, etc. It can also automatically take the failed module offline and switch on the standby module to ensure the requirements of an unmanned working environment. In order to achieve higher fault diagnosis requirements, its development trend is to use artificial intelligence expert diagnosis system.

4. CNC programming automation

With the development of computer application technology, the interactive automatic programming of CAD/CAM graphics has been widely used, which is a new trend of the development of numerical control technology. It is the use of CAD parts processing pattern, then through the computer tool track data calculation and post-processing, so as to automatically generate NC parts processing program, in order to realize the integration of CAD and CAM. With the development of CIMS technology, the CAD/CAPP/CAM integrated automatic programming has appeared. The biggest difference between CAD/CAM system programming and CAD/CAM system programming is that the processing parameters required by its programming need not be manually involved, but directly obtained from the CAPP database in the system.

5. Maximize reliability

The reliability of CNC machine tools is always the main index that users are most concerned about. CNC system will use more integrated circuit chips, the use of large-scale or super-large scale dedicated and hybrid integrated circuits, to reduce the number of components, to improve reliability. Through the software of hardware functions, to adapt to the requirements of various control functions, at the same time, the modular, standardized, universal and serialization of the hardware structure of the machine tool ontology, which not only improves the hardware production batch, but also facilitates the organization of production and quality control. In addition, by automatically running startup diagnosis, online diagnosis, offline diagnosis and other diagnostic procedures, the system hardware, software and various external equipment fault diagnosis and alarm. The use of alarm tips, timely troubleshooting; Using fault-tolerant technology, the important parts are designed with "redundancy" to realize fault self-recovery. Using a variety of testing and monitoring technology, when production overdrive, tool damage, interference, power off and other accidents, automatic protection.

6. Miniaturization of control system

The miniaturization of numerical control system facilitates the integration of machine and electrical devices. At present, it mainly adopts ultra-large scale integrated components, multi-layer printed circuit boards, and three-dimensional installation method, so that electronic components can be installed in high density, and the space occupied by the system can be reduced on a large scale. Using the new color LCD thin display instead of the traditional cathode ray tube will make the NC operating system further miniaturized. This can be conveniently installed on the machine tool equipment, more convenient for the operation of CNC machine tools.