The First CNC Machine

The origin of the matter is how to machine the airfoil curve. Different airfoil curves will exhibit different lift, drag, stall angles, etc. at various airspeeds. Machining blades or airplane wings with specific airfoil curves and shapes was a big challenge. Making such complicated parts with a manual milling machine is laborious and imprecise.

The story begins with John T. Parsons, an engineer and inventor, who is credited with pioneering the concept of numerical control. In 1949, Parsons, along with his employee Frank Stulen, developed a system that utilized punched cards to control the movements of machine tools. This system laid the foundation for what would later become known as computer numerical control (CNC).

MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, played a significant role in the story. Parsons, who was an alumnus of MIT, collaborated with the university’s Servomechanisms Laboratory to further develop and refine his numerical control system. Together, they conducted research and experiments to improve the capabilities and functionality of NC machines.

With the support and expertise from MIT, Parsons continued to refine his numerical control system, making significant advancements in the field. The partnership between Parsons and MIT led to the establishment of the first commercial NC machine tool company, the Parsons Corporation.

The NC (numerical control) machine at that time is not a CNC (computer numerical control) machine yet. The computing systems in the 1940s and 1950s used punched cards as a primary input method. Operators would create programs and data on punched cards, which were then fed into the computer for processing. That is why the “auto” machine at that time is called “NC” not “CNC”. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, keyboards and screens, also known as consoles or terminals, began to replace punched cards for certain tasks.

The term “CNC” itself became more commonly used in the 1970s when computer technology and miniaturization advanced to a level that allowed for the integration of computers directly into machine tools. This integration marked a significant milestone in the history of CNC machining services, leading to their widespread adoption and revolutionizing the manufacturing industry.