CNC machine tools are processing tools for many materials. Today we will learn about the development history of CNC machine tools. The development process of CNC machine tools has mainly gone through the following stages:
- Early exploration stage (before the middle of the 20th century)
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries，With the continuous development of industrial production，The requirements for precision and complexity of mechanical parts are getting higher and higher，Traditional machine tools are no longer able to meet demand，This prompted people to start exploring new processing technologies and equipment。At that time, some simple automated machine tools had already appeared，For example, automatic feeding lathes, etc.，However, the degree of automation of these machine tools is still relatively low.，Unable to implement complex machining operations。
- Birth and initial stage (mid-20th century – 201960s)
Technology Origin：20mid century，Computer technology begins to rise，Provided a technical foundation for the birth of CNC machine tools。1952 Year，MIT developed the first experimental CNC system，This marks the official birth of CNC machine tools。This CNC machine tool uses electronic tubes as the main control component，Known as hard-wired NC，It is the first generation of CNC machine tool development.。
Preliminary application：CNC machine tools during this period were mainly used in aerospace and other fields that required extremely high precision of parts.，For processing aircraft parts、Missile parts, etc.。Since the technology is still in its infancy，The performance and functions of CNC machine tools are still relatively limited，The processing efficiency is not high either，But its emergence has brought new possibilities to manufacturing。
- Rapid development stage (1960s – 201980s)
Hardware technology progress：With the rapid development of electronic technology，The hardware of CNC machine tools is constantly upgraded。From the first generation of electronic tube CNC systems，Developed to the second generation of transistor CNC systems (1959) and the third generation of small-scale integrated circuit CNC systems (1965)。These new hardware technologies make CNC systems smaller、higher reliability、Compute faster，The performance of CNC machine tools has been significantly improved。
Functions are gradually improving：during this period，The functions of CNC machine tools are also constantly enriched and improved.。For example，The emergence of multi-axis CNC machine tools，Able to achieve more complex machining operations；The programming methods of CNC systems are also gradually simplified.，From the initial manual programming to the later automatic programming，Greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of programming。
Expanded scope of application：The application scope of CNC machine tools has gradually expanded from aerospace to automobiles、Machinery manufacturing、Molds and other industrial fields，Become an indispensable and important equipment in the manufacturing industry。
- Maturity and popularization stage (1980s – 201990s)
Popularization of computer numerical control systems：201980s，General-purpose minicomputers began to be used in CNC systems，This further improves the performance and functionality of the CNC system。Computer numerical control (CNC) systems gradually replace traditional hardware CNC systems，Become the mainstream control method of CNC machine tools。CNC systems offer greater flexibility and scalability，Able to meet the needs of different users。
Improved machining accuracy：With the continuous development of CNC technology，The processing accuracy of CNC machine tools is also constantly improving。The emergence of high-precision CNC systems and servo drive systems，Able to achieve micron-level or even higher precision processing。at the same time，error compensation technology、Online detection technology has also been widely used，Further improve the processing accuracy and quality of CNC machine tools。
Market competition intensifies：As CNC machine tool technology continues to mature and market demand continues to increase,，The number of CNC machine tool manufacturers continues to increase worldwide，Market competition is becoming increasingly fierce。Manufacturers have increased investment in research and development，Launch of CNC machine tool products with higher performance and lower price，to compete for market share。
- Intelligent and high-end development stage (1990s to present)
Application of intelligent technology：20Since the 1990s，With artificial intelligence technology、sensor technology、The rapid development of network communication technology, etc.，CNC machine tools are gradually developing towards intelligence。adaptive control、fuzzy control、CNC machine tools with intelligent control functions such as neural network control，Ability to automatically adjust processing parameters according to real-time status during processing，Improve processing efficiency and quality。
Further improvements in speed and precision：In order to meet the needs of modern manufacturing industry for high-speed、Efficient、The need for high-precision machining，CNC machine tool spindle speed、Futtergeschwindigkeit、Performance indicators such as acceleration continue to improve。at the same time，Using linear motor、New drive technologies such as torque motors，Further improves the motion accuracy and response speed of CNC machine tools。
The development of multi-axis linkage and composite machining：Multi-axis linkage CNC machine tools and composite processing machine tools have become hot spots in development。Multi-axis CNC machine tools can process complex curved surfaces，Improved processing flexibility and efficiency；Compound processing machine tools can complete multiple processing operations on one machine tool，Reduces the number of workpiece clamping times and processing time，Improved processing accuracy and production efficiency。
The development of open architecture：In order to meet users’ needs for personalization and customization of CNC machine tools，Open architecture CNC machine tools have gradually become a development trend。The open architecture CNC system allows users to carry out secondary development and functional expansion according to their own needs.，Improved versatility and adaptability of CNC machine tools.
Through this article, we learned about the Development history of CNC machine tools. For more CNC machining expertise, please follow us.
