94 ubiquitous across various industries. One machine producer has, to that end, patented an approach for helping maintain close temperature controls about the CNC machine tool, to minimise the degree of thermally induced deformations and errors by the tool upon the workpiece. That method consists of placing covers about the gantry for the machine tool chamber, and blowing temperature-controlled air between those covers to cool the back part of the machine and keep it sealed against external temperatures, both outside and inside the machine chamber. New methods for maintaining the accuracy of weighing scales used inside machines (highly valued for checking that the correct amount of metal has been carved, bored or ground away over time when present in a machine design) stand to make a similar difference as thermal management innovations in the CNC space. Sheet to sheet So far, we have considered machine tools for CNC milling, turning and drilling. Over the past several decades, however, machines for precisely and consistently working metal sheets – in a programmed and thus more automated fashion than manual machine brakes for metal bending – have been optimised and diversified with CNC punch presses and press brakes being notable examples. A CNC punch press typically comes with a rotating head, full of tools of different shapes and sizes, each of which can be taken in order to profile metal sheets as programmed. As well as punching holes or cutting lines through the metal (the latter including cutting away corners to achieve non-rectangular perimeters), the punch press can emboss, deboss or create tapped holes for screws. Once all the two-dimensional qualities of the sheet are achieved, it can be retrieved and placed into a press brake, which can be programmed with an order of bending or folding operations similar to the various cuts of a milling or turning machine. The press brake will typically consist of a fixed bed, with a V-shaped tool for imparting bending force, and a beam for receiving that force and pressing the sheet against the tool. Press brakes generally differ in terms of the bed sitting at the bottom and the beam at the top, or vice versa. Either way, they will perform a series of folds to turn the sheet into a tube, a rectangular beam, a half-cylinder or whatever other shape is demanded. Much like a 5-axis milling machine, the steps can usually be executed one after another in an uninterrupted chain, without any express need for the machine operator to perform manual checks or readjustments of the workpiece. The future is software While improvements in the core performance capabilities of machine tools are expected to level off over the next decade, it has been expressed to us that significant software improvements have been happening over the past 5-10 years, which pose the likeliest avenue for further advancements in the CNC space in the years ahead. The complexity and value of control software products often run in hand with those of the machines they are best suited to be used with, with simple software solutions like Fusion 360 by AutoDesk or August/September 2025 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Focus | Machine tools New quality control and automation technologies will be vital for ensuring consistency and cost-efficiency in future CNC machining lines (Image courtesy of Gruppo Parpas) Advancements in software, including for ease of use, CAD integration and predictive maintenance, are expected to mark the future of CNC technology (Image courtesy of Syncro Design)
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