In the mechanical processing process, the commonly used methods for sheet metal cutting include manual cutting, semi-automatic cutting machine cutting, and CNC cutting machine cutting. Manual cutting is flexible and convenient, but it has poor quality, large size errors, large material spread, and a large subsequent processing workload. At the same time, the labor conditions are harsh, and the production efficiency is low. The profile cutting machine in semi-automatic cutting machines has better quality in cutting workpieces, as it uses cutting molds and is not suitable for cutting single pieces, small batches, and large workpieces. Other types of semi-automatic cutting machines, while reducing labor intensity for workers, have simple functions and are only suitable for cutting parts with more regular shapes. Compared to manual and semi-automatic cutting methods, CNC cutting can effectively improve the efficiency and quality of sheet metal cutting, and reduce the labor intensity of operators. At present, manual cutting and semi-automatic cutting methods are still commonly used in some small and medium-sized enterprises in China, and even in some large enterprises.
Numerical control technology and numerical control machine tools are the foundation of manufacturing modernization and an important embodiment of a country's Comprehensive National Power. In the process of China's transformation from a manufacturing powerhouse to a manufacturing powerhouse, it is of great significance to vigorously develop CNC technology. Flat press die-cutting machine
In recent years, based on the introduction and digestion of foreign CNC technology, China has produced CNC systems and CNC machine tools with proprietary copyrights. However, CNC systems above medium and high end are still mainly imported products. Studying the current status and future development direction of CNC machine tools and technologies will play an important role in developing medium and high end CNC products and further expanding the market share of CNC machine tools.
Rapid development of hardware technology in CNC systems
With the rapid development of integrated circuit and computer technology, it injects new vitality into the upgrading of CNC hardware technology. Modern CNC systems generally use Very Large Scale Integration, ASIC and DSP technologies. The widespread use of surface mount (SMT) and three dimensional high density technology in electrical assembly greatly improves the reliability of the system. High speed and high-performance storage technology, such as flash memory and PCMCIA card, greatly facilitates users. Thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFTLCD) technology makes display devices tend to be flat, making it easier to install mechatronics and improve human-machine interfaces. As the core processor of CNC systems, high-speed RISC CPUs with a bit or more are widely used to ensure high-speed and high-precision CNC machining.
Taking the Japanese FANUC 16i/18i and 160i/180i as examples, ultra small and ultra-thin controllers have been formed, with the main control board only the size of a hand prick, and the main processor using a Pentium chip. CNC and servo adopt a 50M/S high-speed serial bus. Connect the I/O modules with optical cables and adopt a decentralized configuration, facilitating mechatronics integration. In terms of communication, PCMCIA memory cards are used for communication with external computers, or modems are used for telephone and human-machine communication.

The use of embedded hardware is expected to make CNC system hardware more standardized and serialized. The development cost of CNC systems will also decrease accordingly.
2. The development of architecture towards openness
The discussion of open CNC has been ongoing for several years, but it should be noted that there is currently no consistent definition of open architecture. Some users believe that open representation can accept communication protocols used locally; However, some users believe that openness means that all controller control interfaces are completely consistent; For machine tool application engineers, open means having scaled input/output interfaces for tool holder movement, sensors, and logic control; For research engineers in companies and universities, openness means that all of these come from readily available building blocks. Due to pressure from end-users and integrators (machine tool factories), the development of open structures is progressing and will continue. One current positive achievement is equivalent to PC based CNC, or PC based CNC.
Some famous CNC manufacturers in the world have launched PC based CNC systems, such as FANUC 160/180 of FANUC, Siemens 840Di of Siemens, and FAGOR 8070 of FAGOR. Due to the adoption of industrial grade PCs and desktop operating systems such as Windows and DOS, its abundant software and hardware resources bring many conveniences to users. Flat press die-cutting machine
It should be noted that in the strong real-time environment of CNC machining, the use of commercial control systems such as Win and DOS has not yet been fully recognized by the industry. In theory, it has not been proven to be more superior than the existing traditional CNC.
In response to the future development of open CNC, China has implemented the national standard GB/T18759.1 for open CNC since 2003. Open CNC (ONC) can be divided into three levels based on its degree of openness. The first level is a communication interface and protocol with configurable functions and an open human-machine interface. The second level is that the control device is allowed to be replaced under a clear and fixed topology structure, and specific modules in the NC core are added to meet the special requirements of the customer. The third level is a fully variable and fully open control device with a topological structure. The first level of these three levels is currently basically achieved. The future development mainly revolves around the second level of goals, and there is still a long way to go.