Research On The Key Technology For NC Machine Networking

With the increase on the amount of NC machine of enterprises, the phenomenon of low productivity, poor management to NC machine appeared in our country. The integrative network of NC machine can greatly improve manufacturing management of workshop, and enhance the utilization frequency of the NC machine, and enlarge the machining capability. It emphasizes on integration of information stream, and has the characteristic of little investment and rapid effect. It is the most important step and one of the key points for an enterprise to carry out its incorporated CAD/CAM to solve for information in manufacturing. So network control of NC machine is studied.In this paper, the structure of NC system, network control and serial communication are mainly investigated and a network NC machining controlling system is developed. NC machines with RS-232 serial port are linked together by utilizing PLC and Nport5610-16 according to protocol conversion network theory. As well network control of NC machine is realized that it can complete the following items: managing turning time of NC machine; monitoring the working state measured by PLC, accumulating effective work time and displaying the state of NC machine; locking the machine to force the operator to maintain the machine; sending and receiving the machining program from computer on spot to the NC machine. Meanwhile the managing program developed for the workshop is achieved. This software regards Windows 2000 as operating deck and Visual Basic 6.0 as foreground development tool, Microsoft SQL server 2000 as background database. At the same time, bilateral data transmission between computer and industrial numerical control equipment on spot is realized. This system has other functions, such as NC file management, equipment management, initializing system, etc.The network control technique of NC machine are characterized by low cost and good versatility, so it may be applied to NC machine which can be provided with many kinds of NC control systems, such as, FANUC, SIEMENS, MITSUBISHI. The function of concentrative monitoring and management of NC machines working in site and computer aided managements for machining programs and machining tasks in workshop were completed to establish stable technical foundation to achieve network manufacturing and highly automation production for an enterprise.