Choice approach

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CNC programming can be carried out online from the office or on the shop floor, and operators favour one or the other. Martin Oakham discusses their merits.

There are two distinct schools of thought when programming CNC machine tools. For many, the online approach operated by a dedicated office-based team is seen as the best way to increase productivity, while many others see programming carried out on the shop floor as the best solution.

Online requires a central hub of dedicated programmers to write numerical control (NC) code, which can be posted and sent to any machine tool on the shop floor via a standard network. Alternatively, a CAM system might be used.

Shop floor programming is preferred by others, chiefly because the majority of expertise is with the operators who have built up a great understanding of the machines they operate and know how to get the best from them.

Nearly all of today's shop floor CNC programming uses some form of conversational, or interactive, software to aid program development. Many find this method offers many more benefits than manual or CAM system online programming.

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