CNC as a Management Control
Before go through into greater
detail of some areas that the CNC Machine imposes an influence, it is
interesting to know that a CNC Machine is not a machine control, yet it can be
used in management control. CNC is primarily an automatic machine. However, its
capacity to enhance the production process also greatly increases the potential
control that management has over the manufacture process. Management is
concerned with planning, organizing and efficient usage of all factors and
resources that are available.
CNC and Design
When a component has to be
manufactured, it first has to be designed. The adoption of CNC will immediately
impose a certain influence on the design process. Detailed working drawings
will be produced in accordance with accepted CNC conventions. The design
process also will be influenced by the application of computers which is used
to convert all designs created into data. Once the design is converted the data
can be transmitted directly to the memory of the CNC machine tool ready for manufacturing.
CNC and Quality Control
Since the process is now
automatic, better quality in terms of dimensional and geometrical accuracy is
reached. Because of the uniformity of the products, the processes of fitting
and assembly can possibly be streamlined. The decision to invest in CNC machine
tool must not be taken on the basis of technology alone. It is important
understand that if the management fails to acknowledge these additional
benefits then the CNC installation will be less effective. The level of the
benefits is dependent of the user. It is minimal when the CNC is used as a
machine control and reach the maximum when the CNC is adopted as a management
control.
