Numerical Control (NC) Machine Tools

Numerical Control (NC) refers to the method of controlling the manufacturing operation by means of directly inserted coded numerical instructions into the machine tool. It is important to realize that NC is not a machining method, rather, it is a concept of machine control. Although the most popular applications of NC are in machining, NC can be applied to many other operations, including welding, sheet metalworking, riveting, etc.

The major advantages of NC over conventional methods of machine control are as follows:

Higher precision

Machining of complex three-dimensional shapes

Better quality

Higher productivity

Multi-operational machining

Low operator qualification

Types of NC systems

Machine controls are divided into three groups,

Traditional numerical control (NC);

Computer numerical control (CNC);

Distributed numerical control (DNC).