The Use of Compiled CNC Program in Smart Machining

In many commercial and defense applications, the data contained within the part program can be very sensitive and must be protected at all times. To achieve this program security, many organizations have security cleared personnel load the part program into the control and then have to remove/delete the file immediately after the part program has completed machining the part. This is very cumbersome and an undesirable way to secure the part program data. Also this method is open to errors made by the operator who might change the machining parameters on the fly. Effective version control and program code management is nearly impossible. The recently launched GBI Revolution machine’s MTI control eliminates this current problem due to the fact that every time a new program is loaded it is compiled prior to machining. The computer industry might be going away from compiled programming languages to more interpreted language but the manufacturing industry is just embracing the idea of pre-compiled NC code. The compiled file is stored within the control and used to machine the part, but the actual raw data can not be accessed, edited or downloaded. The original program can be immediately deleted from the control leaving the compiled file within the control for as long as needed with no safety concerns for the raw part program data. This security feature will be immensely valuable to any commercial or defense manufacturer that is concerned with part program data security. It will ensure process compliance and assurance especially in case of subcontracting manufacturing to external organizations.