The Numerical Control Information utility: Concepts and considerations

The concept of Numerical Machine Tool Control has extensive applications to many metalworking-manufacturing processes. An entirely new industrial demand for computer processing services is emerging because of Numerical Control (N/C), primarily at this time by industries with a large engineering and metalworking base. The emergence, at the same time, of the Computer Utility poses some interesting questions concerning the use of publicly available computer power to support planning, programming and control of N/C operations. This paper was written with several objectives in mind, namely to 1) discuss the concepts of numerical machine tool control in order to define the environment of computer application, 2) review organization and operation of computer-communications systems currently being used for N/C data processing, 3) discuss overall functions and characteristics of a Numerical Control Information Utility, and to identify the nature of services needed by the N/C user community, 4) analyze the requirements of computer assisted N/C programming in terms of on-line type software facilities and utility-user operations and 5) briefly discuss the types of data-base services for numerical control, their nature and impact on the manufacturing process.