Flexible automatic converting of nc programs

Thomas Schroeder (1) , Michael Hoffmann (1)

1 Fraunhofer IWU - Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology

The syntax and semantics of programs for CNC machines is defined in standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in local counterparts. Because of the very tight limits of these standards, most manufacturers of numeric controls extend the NC language by including specific structures. These could be simple commands, management of variables, control structures etc. By using the above mentioned manufacturer-specific commands, a NC program can not be used on a numeric control of another manufacturer. Sometimes, even the manufacturer-specific commands differ from newer software versions on the same control. The present algorithms can be used to support the user by converting NC programs from one type to another. The main focus was set up on on versatility and simple usage. A software tool was programmed to verify the benefits of this approach.

Mots clés: Physical Sciences

Thomas Schroeder, Michael Hoffmann. Flexible automatic converting of nc programs. International Journal of Production Research, 2006, 44 (13), pp.2671-2679. ⟨10.1080/00207540500455841⟩. ⟨hal-00512877⟩