The evolution of technology has constantly seen the evolution of other industries. Manufacturing has not been left behind. Manufacturing has adopted the use of technology mostly for process automation.
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) is one of the vast methods that have been adopted for process automation in the manufacturing industry. CNC is a method that is used to automatically control machines in an industry using a program that has been installed in a computer that is connected to that machine.
CNC lubrication is done with a variety of methods. But the most efficient lubricant and system is somewhat new to the overall manufacturing world. Micro lubrication, sometimes known as near dry lubrication is by far the most effective and also provides an eco-friendly solution.
This program is basically a sequence of steps that have been put together to manage the operation of the machine. The CNC machining language is in international standard called G-code which is used in the integration of different machine parts to work together using different pieces of code. As compared to their counterparts, Lathe Machines, the users have to give the input to the machines and also control the working in the whole process.
The most ancient CNC program used was Computer Aided Design (CAD) that helped engineers and also architects design parts that are supposed to be built or manufactured before the actual processes are undertaken then the design is G-coded for the machine to understand. This G-code specifies different operations like speed, depth and coordination of the different parts of the machines with each other.
This code is stored in the Machine Control Unit (MCU).The first CNC machine, Cincinnati Milacron Hydrotel, was developed by Richard Kegg with assistance from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1952. This method has mostly been adopted in the production of metal and plastic materials. CNC has become more common in recent years because of its aid in accuracy, efficiency and program reusability which are traits that are not realized when using manual machining.
There are different types of CNC machines that are categorized according to the use or purpose:
Routers -
They are used to cut wood metal and plastic into more precise dimensions that are used in manufacturing. The user of this component only enters a series of commands into a program in a computer then the action is done by the router. The best metal cutting lubricant for routers can be found at www.Maglube.com.
Plasma -
They use a plasma torch to cut wood and metal in two dimensions without having to consume as much power as the routers do. The plasma torch is used in penetration of wood and also metal sheets.
Laser -
They do operate in a similar way as plasma cutters to penetrate wood, metal and plastic but instead of the torch they use lasers.
Milling -
Rotary cutters are used to engrave sections of a component that is being manufactured. The machine is designed to make the cutting in different angles, directions and depths to achieve desired outputs using rotating cylindrical tools. This process is just equivalent to drilling and cutting.
Pick and place -
These are mostly machines that are used in the manufacture of handheld devices like mobile phones, tablets and other electronics using small multiple nozzles. These machines move micro electrical components in these devices and place them in desired places to achieve some collaboration between them.
There are different applications of the CNC machines in the industrial manufacturing lubricant industry and the choice of a machine depends on the cost, power consumption and purpose the machine will be used for.