Department of Mechanical

Engineering
Accessories of CNC machines

www.kgkite.ac.in

Automatic Tool Changer

ATC picks up a tool from the magazine and keeps it ready for swapping with
the tool in the spindle which is presently cutting.
The time for tool change varies between 3 to 7 seconds.
The ATC plays a significant role in reducing idle time during tool change
operations.

Types of ATC and magazine

Drum type - For holding small number of tools not more than 30, stored on the
periphery
of the drum. Tool search speed is faster.
Chain type - For more number of tools (more than 30 - 40). Tool search speed
is less.

Work tables
Work tables can be indexed or tilted to present a fresh surface
for machining.
A variety of drive systems, including Geneva mechanism for
simple indexing have been used.
The typical rotary table features DC servomotors connected to
a worm drive that rotates the table on preloaded roller
bearings.

Spindles
Requirements of spindles for CNC machines are:
High stiffness both static and dynamic.
Running accuracy.
Axial load carrying capacity.
Thermal stability.
Axial freedom for thermal expansion. High speeds o
ball bearings, roller bearings or hydrostatic bearings are generally used.

Beds and columns

Cast or a welded box type structures are generally used for
beds and columns.
Large base structures can be economically fabricated with
concrete plus resin mixture which gives high rigidity and
reduced vibration.
(In CNC lathes epoxy concrete and concrete mixed with other
synthetic material are also used in lathes. These have high
damping capacity.)

Post process metrology

Work piece probes can be mounted on the tool post which can
measure the dimensional accuracy of the work pieces.

Special features
Feedback devices
Feed back devices measure the position of the slide and close
the control loop.
The accuracy of the positioning of the slide is largely
dependent on the resolution of the feedback device.
Feedback devices can be broadly classified into:
Digital incremental measuring devices.
Digital absolute measuring devices

Analog measuring devices.

Part programming fundamentals

The term CNC programming refers to the methods for
generating the instructions used to drive CNC machine
tools.
For two dimensional components with little geometric
complexity, the instructions can be written manually.
However as geometrical complexity increases more
sophisticated techniques are required.

Four distinct techniques are used for generating CNC

instructions:

Manual CNC programming.

Computer assisted part programming.
Graphic numerical control programming(CAD/cam based
programming system).
CNC programming based on solid modeling.

Manual part programming

Manual programming is one of the conventional methods of
CNC programming. This technique is widely used for work
pieces of relatively simple geometry.
Manual programming begins with
Careful
The

study of component drawing.

tool path of the CNC machine is then described in

machine codes,
(which usually take the following general form some of the
terms being optional. (N - G - X - Y - Z - A - B - C - F - S - T M ))

A program of NC consists of a sequence of directions that

causes a NC machine to accomplish a certain operation.
The NC program describes the sequence of actions of the
controlled NC machine.
These actions include but are not limited to:
Component movements, incl. direction, velocity and positioning.
Tool selection, tool change, tool offsets, and tool corner wear
compensation.
Spindle rotation and spindle rotation speed, incl. possibility to
change it to keep constant.
Cutting speed for different diameters in turning.
Application of cutting fluids.

Many programming languages have been developed for part

programming. The first that used English like statements and one of
the most popular languages is called APT (for Automatically
Programmed Tools).
NC programming for complex parts are generated using advanced
computer programs (CAD/CAM programs),
which create automatically the machine code (so called G-code) in a
graphic
Environment.Machine code is also largely used for manual part
programming of simple shapes

Some of the most important program words are as follows:

Sequence numbers (N****)
Sequence numbers are a means of identifying program blocks
Preparatory functions (also G-codes) (G**)
Preparatory functions are used to set up the mode in which
the rest of the operation is to be executed.
Dimension words (D****.***), where D stands for X, Z, U, or W
Dimension words specify the coordinate positions of the
programmed path. X and Z specify the absolute
coordinates, and U and W specify the incremental
coordinates

? Feed function (F**.**)

Specifies the velocity of feed motion;
? Spindle control function (S****)
Specifies spindle rotational speed in revolutions per minute, or cutting velocity
in meter per
minute depending on the type of NC system and machine tool;
? Tool calls (T**.**)
The tool call word is used to access the required tool. It also gives the
information for the radial
compensation of tool corner wear for each new run of the program (and each
new part);
? Miscellaneous functions (M**)
The M-function performs miscellaneous machine actions such as these listed
in the table:

Thank You!

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