25 years in the development of numerical controls
A
Heidenhain (GB) product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jan 22, 2002
25 years ago, Heidenhain began developing NC controls, and in this short article, the company reviews the developments which have taken place in that time
25 years ago, Heidenhain began developing NC controls.
Since these could be operated by the machinist directly at the machine, they were called "Touch Numerical Controls", from which we get the name TNC.
The TNCs were improved very rapidly.
Although in 1976 the TNC 110 could be used solely for entering the target positions of the traverse paths, at EMO in 1981 we were already able to present the TNC 145, the first contouring control.
As true then as it is now, the TNC is rooted in tool and mould making, where its conversational programming removed the machinist's fear of the new technology.
This was the foundation for the success of the TNC controls, as well as the concept of the TNCs mutual compatibility.
Even machining programs from the first control, the TNC 145, effortlessly run on the iTNC 530, and the contouring control function keys still look the same.
Therefore, no re-training is necessary for the machinist when switching from one generation to the next.
The TNC today is increasingly found in automated production and machining centres.
In the year 2001, approximately 12,000 TNC controls left Dr Johannes Heidenhain's factory in Traunreut, Germany.
After having begun with just one TNC model in 1976, there are now 46 different and expanded models available.
By the middle of 2001, Heidenhain had delivered its 150,000th NC control.
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