TheNumericordMachine-ToolDirector.PDFVIP

6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE EASTERN COMPUTER CONFERENCE The Numericord Machine- Tool Director GERALD T. MOOREt HAT is numerical control of machine tools? I Wwould answer by saying that it is a system of . machine-tool control in which the machining op- eration is guided by instructions in the form of coded numbers. These instructions may be inserted via punched cards, punched tape, magnetic tape, or other suitable means. A complete sequence of operations is predeter- mined and programmed in a coded form which is under- standable to the controller or the director, as it is called. As divided into their broad classifications; the two types Fig. 1-The director system. of numerical machine-tool controls are: 1) Positioning controls. A sequence of positions of a The Numericord director has punched paper tape as its tool is controlled, some operation occurring at each posi- input. Coded numbers on this tape prescribe the path of tion before the tool continues to the next position. Here, the cutting tool center in five axes. Thus, for example, it is generally unimportant by which route and at which a milling machine on which the milling head has two ro- speed the tool progresses from one position to the next. tationaldegrees of freedom as well as orthogonal X, Y, The tool is not in contact with the workpiece when mov- and Z degrees of freedom may be controlled. The punched ing betwee