Modern Connections

Though the early CNC systems developed by Parsons, MIT, et al, were rudimentary by today’s standards, they do share much in common with modern CNC equipment. All automated motion control machines, from that first modified Hydro-Tel to CMSNA’s state-of-the-art Cronus moving bridge, require a command function, a drive/motion system, and a feedback system.

A CNC machine’s command function could be anything from a simple cam follower to a fully digital interface. The motion/drive system could consist of an electric or hydraulic motor, a clutch, a cylinder, a brake, a valve, or any combination of these—any sort of device that makes something move. The synchronous motor feedback system described above has been replaced with digital encoders and other similar technological advances.