Introduction

When commanding NC machining, it is possible to distinguish between different interfaces/functionality.

1. Automatic program: starting a previously created program
2. Manual block: presetting of an NC command, possibly consisting of several blocks
3. Streaming: online presetting of sequential partial commands
4. PLC: commanding via PLC interface in compliance with PLCopen

Many user commands are only defined online, i.e. when the workpiece is already being machined. User actions are commanded to the controllers interactively with the programming environment and the PLC. Among other things, these concerns:

• Creating the geometry
• The user commands such as Forward/Reverse travel
• Interruption of machining with later continuation

Thanks to incremental presetting of the program portions, users can define and influence the process in a highly timely fashion.