Channel

The command variables required for machine movement are generated within a channel. In this case, an input information item which may be an instruction of an NC program, a manual traverse block or an incremental traverse command is converted to position setpoints for the machine drives. To generate a defined relative movement between tool and workpiece, it is necessary to coordinate command variable generation of the machine axes involved. Within this framework, we talk of axes with a channel relationship. How many axes are controlled on one channel and the type of axes - translatory or rotary - are dependent on the machine concept.

For example, in the case of five-axis milling, three translatory and two rotary axes are controlled on one channel. Some contemporary machines offer the option of controlling their axes on several channels. A multi-carriage automatic lathe is a graphic example of this. On these machines, specific traverse movements are preset in the program for the individual channels and the corresponding command variables are generated mutually independently. However, it is possible to incorporate synchronization points in the relevant NC programs to coordinate the channels.

Control allows these machine concepts by organizing command variable generation on separate channels. Accordingly, a separate NC program is started on each channel. Cross-channel synchronization is performed either using NC commands or via the PLC.