Evolution of key technologies of CNC machine tools

(4) Intelligence. Through sensors and standard communication interfaces, the machine tool status and processing process signals and data are sensed and acquired. Through transformation processing, modeling analysis and data mining, the processing process is learned to form information and instructions that support optimal decision-making, and the machine tool and processing process are monitored, predicted and controlled to meet the requirements of high-quality, efficient, flexible and adaptive processing. "Perception, interconnection, learning, decision-making, and adaptation" will become the main functional features of CNC machine tool intelligence. Processing big data, industrial Internet of Things, digital twins, edge computing/cloud computing, deep learning, etc. will strongly promote the development and progress of future intelligent machine tool technology.

(5) Greening. The technology is oriented towards the needs of future sustainable development, with eco-friendly design, lightweight structure, energy-saving and environmentally friendly manufacturing, optimized energy efficiency management, clean cutting technology, pleasant human-machine interface and green services throughout the product life cycle.

Cutting machine tools use cutting tools or grinding tools to act on workpieces through mechanical energy to achieve various processes of material removal (such as turning, milling, boring, drilling, grinding, etc.). The essential problems can be summarized into two points. One is what energy is used to remove materials? The other is how to control the use of energy? As mentioned at the beginning of this article, machine tool 1.0 uses steam power to directly provide mechanical energy to machine tools to achieve various cutting processes, and the control method is manual control; machine tool 2.0 converts electrical energy into mechanical energy to drive machine tools, and brings about the emergence of digitally controlled machine tools, and the control method is automatic control; machine tool 3.0 is a computer numerical control machine tool brought by computers and information technology, which has changed the control method of machine tools and the production organization method, making it digital and networked.

Looking into the future, machine tools 4.0 will face new revolutionary changes, which are manifested in the following aspects: First, the energy directly used in the material removal process will change from mechanical energy to multiple energy fields such as mechanical energy, electrical energy, light energy, chemical energy and their combinations. Second, the way of controlling energy use. On the one hand, intelligent control is the most important feature and trend of the recent development of machine tools in the future, which makes machine tools higher (precision), faster (efficiency), stronger (function) and more economical (green); on the other hand, the upcoming quantum computing and quantum computers will redefine a generation of CNC machine tools, just as electronic computers brought revolutionary leaps to CNC machine tools, and give birth to CNC machine tools and production processes with new principles and concepts.

As a working machine, machine tools have provided manufacturing tools and methods for the industrial revolution and the development of modern industry for many years; the future industrial development and the progress of human civilization still cannot do without the support and promotion of CNC machine tools. Looking to the future, the new round of industrial revolution will bring new challenges and opportunities to the development of CNC machine tools. The integration of advanced manufacturing technology with the new generation of information technology and the new generation of artificial intelligence will also provide technical support for the technological innovation, product replacement and industrial upgrading of CNC machine tools. CNC machine tools will move towards high performance, multi-function, customization, intelligence and greenness, and embrace the future new quantum computing technology, providing more powerful, more convenient and more effective manufacturing tools for the new industrial revolution and the progress of human civilization.

This article was written at the invitation of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society as a report on the development and trend of the machine tool industry. I would like to express my gratitude to the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society. Some of my understandings and thoughts are purely personal opinions, and I welcome criticism and correction.

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