While humans have used tools for more than 2.6 million years, true machining development began with the Industrial Revolution. The use of machines allowed factories to increase production rates and shorten production time. Factory employment increased, and the Factory Act of 1833 limits how many hours a child worker could work. Since then, CNC machining has evolved from its humble beginnings in the 1950s to sophisticated technology today.
The first CNC machine was developed in 1959 by an MIT team. They programmed a milling machine to produce a commemorative ashtray. However, most companies were hesitant to adopt CNC technology because they were so new and expensive. Furthermore, manufacturing companies typically use equipment that lasts decades and requires little or no upgrading. So, CNC seemed too expensive for most machine shops to adopt. After the first implementation, it was widely used in the industrial world.
Parsons, a professor at MIT, used a computer to write the first version of the CNC machining process. His machine had motorized axes but was still programmed using punch tape. A few years later, MIT and Richard Kegg developed the first numerically controlled milling machine. In 1965, this technique was widely adopted and quickly surpassed rotary axes. And now, with the help of a CNC, it's easy to program a CNC machine.
Before computers became widely available, the technology wasn't widely used. MIT's Parsons Corporation had an early CNC machine, which produced templates for helicopter blades. John Parson used an IBM 602A multiplier to calculate the airfoil coordinates on a computer. This enabled him to motorize his machines' axes and lower the blade to make the cutting. This method, also known as by-the-numbers machining, was a labor-intensive prototype of 2.5 axis machining.
The first CNC machine was developed in the 1960s. It used the same principles as a punch-card system but added an advantage. The software allowed a computer to adapt to different situations. Unlike a punch-card system, CNC could adapt to changing densities. As a result, CNC became a standard in most machine shops. There are many advantages to CNC machining.
Initially, CNC machines were slow and complicated to program. The process was labor-intensive and required extra programming time. Its popularity quickly spread to other industries. By the 1970s, CNC machines were widely used in the manufacturing field. By the mid-1970s, the technology had become affordable and available to most manufacturers. These days, many products are manufactured by automated systems. The development of the CNC machine helped revolutionize manufacturing.
In the 1960s, CNC machines were first used in factories to make helicopter blades. The development of CNC machines was further advanced when computer technology caught up with the technology. The first CNC machine was invented by the founder of the Parsons Corporation, John Parson. The first CNC milling machine was invented in 1952 by a researcher at MIT. The company's axes were motorized during this time, and data points were fed into a Swiss jig borer. This was the start of the CNC machining method.
Richard Kegg developed CNC machines in 1954. He used an IBM 602A multiplier to calculate the airfoil's coordinates. He then fed the information into a Swiss jig borer, considered the first CNC milling machine. The first CNC machine was built in 1969. Its history started in the 1950s and continues to this day. The earliest CNC machines were designed to produce metal components.
The earliest CNC machine was developed at the Parsons Corporation in Michigan. He developed a machine that produced templates for helicopter blades. He patented the concept and created the first CNC milling machine. The parson's corporation's founder, John Parson, was responsible for the invention. In 1952, he calculated the airfoil's coordinates using an IBM 602A multiplier. He motorized the axes of the machinery to make the blades. This was the beginning of the CNC machining process.