Source: MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

CHAPTER 44
DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL
Keith Frantz
VP of Development, Cimnet, Inc.
Robesonia, Pennsylvania

44.1 INTRODUCTION

The most obvious failure of numerical control (NC) file management is the crash of a machine tool
into its fixturing, its workpiece, or worse—its operator—because the wrong part program was run.
This is an attention-getting event that brings a shop to a halt. Fortunately, though it’s one of the most
costly single events, it’s also one of the rarer failures of NC file management. The more subtle short-
comings that show up all the time are the ones that really combine to steal productivity and profits
from a facility.
This article introduces the problems that challenge today’s metal fabrication manufacturer and
how direct numerical control (DNC) systems will help to solve these problems. The benefits of
DNC systems are widely understood and acknowledged to improve factory productivity and product
quality.

44.2 WHAT IS DNC?

Direct numerical control is a data communications system connecting a group of NC machines

to a common computer or network of computers. A DNC system manages the storage of numerous
NC part programs and has provision for on-demand distribution (downloading) of NC programs
to the machines. A DNC system usually has additional functionality for the management, display,
and editing of NC part programs.

44.3 INVESTING IN DNC

Calculating the cost of managing your DNC system is not easy. There are many activities involved
with an NC machining operation, some of which are easily overlooked. Some occur in the ordinary
course of events; others happen infrequently and on an irregular basis.
The cost of the recurring activities can at least be estimated by taking a daily average of the number
of programs worked on, and adding up the times spent on each activity involved for a single program,
multiplying these two numbers together, and multiplying the result by an average hourly cost. Creation
of new part programs will usually have to be costed separately from the running of existing part pro-
grams because most shops reuse files as parts that were made previously are rerun for new jobs.

44.1
Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)
Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

44.2 METAL WORKING, MOLDMAKING, AND MACHINE DESIGN

Costing nonroutine activities is much harder, because both their frequency and the cost of each
occurrence are usually guesses, and thus can vary widely. One approach would be to make a list of
each event involving NC part programs that has been known to occur and get a number of knowledge-
able individuals to make independent estimates of how often they happen and what they cost when
they do. Don’t forget to include direct costs as well as labor and overhead when costing sporadic
occurrences—wasted stock, replacement parts, extra supplies, etc.
If your facility is like most, you will be astounded at the costs involved if a thorough analysis is
made. At almost every point, however, there are actions you may be able to take that will make an
incremental improvement, depending on how things are currently working. These fall into the same
general categories as most manufacturing improvements—saving time, reducing costs, and reducing
waste and scrap.

44.4 IMPROVING YOUR DNC SYSTEM

In order to see where improvements can be made in the processes relating to NC files, let’s first con-
sider the routine activities from beginning to end, and then look at things that don’t happen all the time.

44.4.1 Programming

The first thing that happens to an NC file is, of course, that it is created. The actual time required to
produce the post-processed part program is largely dependent on the CAM system and the pro-
grammer’s skill in using it. However, his job is not finished when the posted file is written. It needs
to be identified with the correct part, operation, and machine, and associated with the right tooling,
fixturing, and any special instructions. If the file is to be stored on physical media for transfer to the
machine, the media must be punched or written, and then stored in the right location with appropri-
ate identification. Even if there is a DNC system so that the transfer will be done electronically, the
file must be put in the appropriate place and identified.

Where Programming Improvements can be Made

Use Electronic Storage. If the file does not need to reside on physical media, the time required
transferring it to that media and the cost of the media itself can be eliminated. This is especially true
with paper or Mylar tape media, and, to a lesser extent, with floppy disks or magnetic tape. The time
required to identify and store the file will be much less if it is kept in electronic form rather than
being transferred to a physical media.
Efficient File Management. Even if the file is stored electronically, the job of properly identify-
ing it, associating it with the other information about tooling, fixturing, etc., and putting them all in
the right place can be simplified if there is computerized support for NC (and other) file management.
The NC file may internally denote what it is for, what tooling it uses, etc., but these are not apparent
when looking at a directory of file names. Descriptive directory and file names help, and this is a lot
easier if names are not limited to the DOS 8.3 format. Having a regular file (and directory) naming
convention can extend the usability of a flat file-based system by insuring that a new file is not inad-
vertently given the name of an existing file. In practice, the applicability of any naming scheme
depends on the regularity of the part names, operation numbers, etc., that go into it. As a simple exam-
ple, creating a part program for an operation with a three-digit operation number where only two were
provided for in the file naming scheme may cause an ambiguity—is program 300120 for part 3001,
operation 20, or part 300, operation 120? This is actually a variation on the intelligent vs. nonintelli-
gent part numbering debate. Just as any intelligent part numbering scheme will eventually break and
need to be reworked, so also any file naming scheme will eventually break down. A system that
provides for storage of information other than in the file’s path will eventually prove more flexible.
The most straightforward place to store this information is in a database, which also makes the infor-
mation available to other systems and makes it easy to maintain. By storing the program file’s
“metadata”—data about the file’s data, in this case, to what it pertains—in the database separately

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL 44.3

FIGURE 44.1 Folders of NC programs and drawings.

from the file itself, it becomes possible to identify multiple contexts for the same file, e.g., if the
same part program is used for a particular operation on several parts, the file only needs to be stored
once, yet can be identified as being used for each part (Fig. 44.1).

44.4.2 Shop Supervision

The next thing that happens to an NC program is that it is identified as one of the inputs needed to
run a particular operation on the factory floor. This is a specific case of the more general need for
supervisors to instruct operators what to do. Since the order entry and job scheduling systems are not
necessarily tied to programming, the need for a particular NC file might arise before the file is ready
for manufacturing.

Where Shop Supervision Improvements can be Made

Automate Transfer of Work Instructions to Operators. How shop supervisors know which jobs
to tell operators to do is beyond the scope of this document, but since their instructions to the oper-
ator may involve specifying the NC file(s) to use, automating the process of getting work instruc-
tions to the operator is going to save time and eliminate one possible source for confusion.
Automated instructions are almost always written and are less prone to miscommunication than verbal
instructions. Unlike pieces of paper, they also cannot be misplaced or destroyed.
Have a System to List All Information Required. If there is a system in place for supervisors to
know whether the information the operator will require for an operation (such as the part program)
is available, the supervisor will not waste the operator’s time on a wild goose chase if it isn’t.

44.4.3 Manufacturing Operations

When an operator knows he has a specific job to do, the steps he must take with respect to the NC
part program begin with retrieving the part program from wherever it is stored, and loading it into
the control. He will almost certainly check it out somehow—inspecting the code, dry running the
machine, etc. He may need to edit it, due to a change in tooling or fixturing not anticipated by

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

44.4 METAL WORKING, MOLDMAKING, AND MACHINE DESIGN

programming, a last-minute revision of the part, or just because he has a better way to do the job.
In doing these things he will need to consult other documentation for the current task—a blueprint, a
tool sheet, special fixturing instructions, etc. He will then run the parts and if all goes well, usually
after he’s done, he will save the part program if he had changed it at all, along with any changes made
to the other documentation he was using. Finally these changes will need to be brought to the atten-
tion of the relevant people so they can be documented and incorporated into the information to be
used for the next time that part is to be made.

Where Manufacturing Operations Improvements can be Made

Local Access to Programs. The most obvious time savings can be had by eliminating sneaker-
net time—the time spent in physically retrieving the media. This involves not only the time spent
walking to and from the storage location, but also time spent looking up the right one, of verifying
that it is the right one, and more often than not, in waiting for the media to be made available. Even
with a DNC system, if the means to initiate a download is not locally available at the control, there
is sneakernet time involved going to and from the terminal that controls communications. Also, there
is usually other information besides the part program to be retrieved. If these documents can be
retrieved electronically, and especially if this can be combined with the fetching of the program,
more time can be saved (see Fig. 44.2).
Download Program Electronically. If using physical media for part transfer, it needs to be
loaded into the machine and read in. Physical media and the devices used to read it are subject to
wear and tear—paper tape tears, read heads get dirty, etc. Very often the reading process must be

FIGURE 44.2 View drawings online.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL 44.5

repeated, or some maintenance must occur before the reading can be successfully completed. Cutting
down on the use of mechanical devices in this process not only saves a little time every time a new
program is read into the control, but occasionally saves quite a bit of time when the process doesn’t
work the first time.
Verification Program With Solid Modeling Software. If the program can be verified electroni-
cally, this will be faster than dry-running (at a reduced feed rate) or visually inspecting the program.
To be most effective, more than the tool center line path must be shown—the actual tool and stock
geometry must be included in the model (see Fig. 44.3).
Modify Program Locally. If editing is needed, and it cannot effectively be done on the control,
the operator must get programming to make the change or find a terminal to make the change him-
self. Having a complete part program editor available locally could end up saving a great deal of time
(see Fig. 44.4).
Manage Toolbreak Restarts. An unfortunate fact of life in metal cutting is that tools sometimes
break. This will mean backing up to some point in the NC program, and restarting again from that
point. While straightforward if the entire part program resides in the control’s memory, recovering
from this can be a time consuming activity if “drip-feeding” from an external source. This usually

FIGURE 44.3 Viewing virtual tool path.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

44.6 METAL WORKING, MOLDMAKING, AND MACHINE DESIGN

FIGURE 44.4 Editing NC program.

also means manually inputting MDI setup information. A system that can electronically provide just
the portion of the program yet to be run, with the requisite header, tool change, etc. can save a lot of
work.
Save Changes to Programs Electronically. If the program is changed, it needs to be saved for
future use, or at least reference. If it needs to be stored on physical media (by punching a tape or
writing a disk) there is time that could be saved both in the actual transfer itself (especially punch-
ing a long tape), and in storing, labeling, and logging the revised version, and notifying the right peo-
ple about it. The same is true of drawings or other paper documents if they are marked up—while
the operator is not a draftsman, markups need to be disseminated to the right people so the originals
can be updated. Any of these activities that can be accomplished electronically, including the notifi-
cation of people, will save time, and potentially reduce errors.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL 44.7

44.4.4 Nonrecurring Activities

Other activities which touch on the handling of NC files happen less frequently—perhaps only a few
times—yet if not handled well they can take a long time.

Where Improvements can be Made

Log the Program Used Electronically. Finding out what program was used to run a particular
lot or batch may not even be possible unless a log of files is maintained. If a paper log is used, it may
not only be time-consuming to locate a particular entry, but also a little time will be required to
record each program run.
Use Generic Hardware. Repairing or replacing the equipment used to transfer programs will be
more difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, the older and more specialized the equipment is.
Paper tape readers and punchers, custom disk or tape drives, and even proprietary DNC hardware are
always relatively expensive pieces of equipment because they were never produced in large volumes,
and in the future this will only get worse as devices are discontinued. While generic hardware can-
not be used for everything, it should be used wherever possible because it is low cost and compara-
tively easy to repair or replace. Even software can become obsolete—not that the programs
themselves degrade, but they may not any longer be compatible with currently-available replacement
hardware. For example, many DOS-based communications programs cannot be run on Windows NT
or Windows 2000 because these operating systems do not allow application programs to directly
access the computer’s hardware, and this was the norm for most DOS programs. They require the
use of a software driver, and few DOS programs are written to use such a driver.
Expand With Generic Hardware. Expanding to new machines or facilities will involve some of
the same considerations as equipment replacement. In addition, there are often different ways of
accomplishing the same goal. For example, if a machine needs to be upgraded to run longer programs,
this can be accomplished by either adding memory to it (an expensive proposition, not to mention that
there is a limit as to how much memory can be added) or by allowing the machine to drip feed from
an external source such as a DNC system. For a single machine, with a finite memory requirement,
the former may be cheaper, but the latter can be applied to other machines for little or no incremental
cost—and there is no practical upper limit to program size. Similarly, expanding a system based on
proprietary hardware may be less costly in the short term than replacing it with one using ordinary
PCs, but the incremental cost of further expansions will always be greater in the long run.
Reduce Training With Familiar Interfaces. Training of new operators can take a lot of time.
Using systems having interfaces with which the operators are already familiar can minimize this.
Recover From Disasters. Catastrophic failures can occur due to either human error or natural
causes—floods, storms, etc. Backup and recovery planning must be part of any enterprise that
intends to survive such an occurrence. The impact of such a failure can range from an inconve-
nience—a single machine goes down for a while, requiring production to be rerouted—to a disaster.
The extent to which the NC file management system allows for quickly adapting to whatever hap-
pens can be a major cost savings.

44.5 DNC COMMUNICATIONS

Factories using NC machines vary from small job shops up to large multinational manufacturers. In
all cases, most DNC systems have the communications capabilities to expand from small installa-
tions with a single computer up to site-wide installations with servers and networked computers. The
method of communicating with the NC machines is similar in all cases.

44.5.1 Serial or Ethernet

There are two mainstream methods of communicating to your NC machines from DNC systems.
One is via the RS232 serial port on your computer and the other is via Ethernet. The method depends

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

44.8 METAL WORKING, MOLDMAKING, AND MACHINE DESIGN

on the communications capabilities of the controller on the machine itself. The more modern
machines support Ethernet.

44.5.2 Hubs and BTR

In the case of serial communications, many DNC systems have multiport serial devices to com-
municate with many NC machines as seen in drawing below. On older machines, it was common
to use paper tape to load a program into a machine. This too can be incorporated into a DNC sys-
tem using a behind the reader device or BTR. A BTR solution involves putting a computer serial
port in series with the old paper system to simulate the loading of the program into the machine
tool (see Fig. 44.5).

FIGURE 44.5 DNC control network.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL 44.9

44.6 CONCLUSION

By this point it will be apparent that the elimination of physical media using software running
on a common PC will in time save many times the cost of whatever equipment is required to
accomplish it. DNC systems are the rule rather than the exception, and for good reason—they’re
cost-effective. But what characteristics should the DNC system possess to optimize the flow of
part programs and their related information? To summarize the points made in the preceding
sections:

1. Support for long file and directory names

2. Grouping of related information with the part program
3. A system for identifying the files according to their part, operation, machine, and other relevant
information, preferably in a database
4. A way for supervisors to organize the operators’ work and let them know what they should work
on
5. A way for the operator to transfer part programs right from the machine without having to go
somewhere else
6. Electronic verification of the part program
7. A good G-code editor if the controls themselves are not capable of editing
8. A way to view and edit or at least mark up other documentation
9. A way to download a properly-formatted partial program to pick up from a tool break
10. A way to segregate uploaded files from others and properly identify them
11. A way for operators to notify others of changes or problems
12. A log of part program transfers—uploads and downloads
13. Uses standard, up-to-date PC hardware and system software
14. Support for multiple simultaneous drip-feed downloads
15. A conventional user interface
16. Allowance for flexibility in routings
17. Easy backup and recovery

In addition there are a few other points to consider in deciding whether an upgrade to a modern
DNC system is worthwhile:

1. Is the system upgradeable to allow it to eventually be tied in to the rest of the company’s infor-
mation systems? Can it be integrated with data collection, monitoring, document management,
and scheduling?
2. Does the DNC system support special communications protocols that were not present in the
existing system? It may be possible to bring machines into the system that previously operated as
independent islands.
3. To what extent is security implemented in the system? Even if the facility’s work does not deal
with sensitive information, a good security system can prevent mistakes, sabotage, and just plain
old “messing around.” It should be possible to limit who can access which files, for example to
differentiate proven from unproven programs.

In summary, a modern, flexible, expandable DNC system can go a long way toward saving time
and reducing errors in your facility. Ordinary day-to-day activities will be simplified, and the impact
of extraordinary events will be minimized.

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.
 DIRECT NUMERICAL CONTROL

44.10 METAL WORKING, MOLDMAKING, AND MACHINE DESIGN

INFORMATION RESOURCES

www.cimnet.com
www.mmsonline.com
www.ndx.com
www.e4production.net
www.modernapplicationsnews.com
www.metalworkingdigest.com

Downloaded from Digital Engineering Library @ McGraw-Hill (www.digitalengineeringlibrary.com)

Copyright © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use as given at the website.