Abstract: Provided is a cell controller for controlling an operation of a machining cell including two or more machines and one or more robots as work resources, the cell controller being configured to control the operation of the machining cell based on a production program recorded with one or more processes to be executed at the time of producing only one article of a corresponding item in the machining cell among production programs prepared corresponding to one or more items produced in the machining cell.

Abstract: A plurality of parameter-sets, the components of which are parameter items for determining a machining method, are provided, stored in advance. The Most suitable machining method is determined for a subject workpiece by allowing an operator to select the most suitable parameter-set from among the plurality of the parameter-sets used in to determining the machining method.

Abstract: A machining program for controlling a numerical control machine tool is edited by a machining program editing function of a numerical control apparatus. Machining step division codes and machining step identification codes are input, and machining step unit programs are defined by dividing the machining program on the basis of machining step division blocks. Machining step identification codes are extracted for each of the machining step unit programs and are defined as the machining step names of the machining step unit programs. The machining step names are displayed on a screen according to the sequence of the execution of the machining step programs. Locations of the machining step names are changed according to externally input commands. The sequence of the execution of the machining programs is converted according to the thus changed locations of the machining step names.

Abstract: In a control method and device for tapping, the phase difference between the spindle and the feed shaft at suspended positions is made equal to zero by controlling the rotation of the spindle of the feed of the feed shaft in a manner to minimize the damage on the machined portion and the rotation of the spindle and feed on the feed shaft are subsequently synchronized to reset them to their starting positions, thereby enabling an automatic reset operation.

Abstract: A numerical control method and an apparatus sets the feed rate at the time the first action ends as a tapping feed rate, and sets the spindle rate at the time the second action ends as a tapping spindle rate, and starts the third action after the first and second actions end simultaneously. In a tapping process where the spindle angle at the start position is set at a predetermined tapping start angle, the first action for setting the feed shaft position at the tapping start position and the second action for setting the spindle angle as the tapping start angle are executed simultaneously, and the third action is executed without changing the feed and spindle rates because the feed rate has already been set at the tapping feed rate and the spindle rate has already been set at the spindle tapping rate at the time when the first and second actions end.

Abstract: In the thread cutting method according to the present invention, the cutting amount S in each of the thread cutting operations from the second thread cutting operation to the (N-1)th thread cutting operation can be made less than and closest to the allowable cutting amount S.sub.p in each of the thread cutting operations by respectively determining as the cutting amount S.sub.1 in the first thread cutting operation and the cutting amount S.sub.n at a cutting depth which corresponds to the bottom of thread the values which are less than and closest to the allowable cutting amount S.sub.p obtained at the two cutting depths. In consequence, wear of the tool can be reduced and the time required for the thread cutting process can be shortened while the thread cutting accuracy can be maintained high by determining either of two equations from the prerequisites and the processing conditions and then by designating the equation to be adopted.