【正文】
ntouring control. Verticaldrilling machines jig borers, and small milling machines often use positional control. One sophisticated form of NC machine is known as the machining center. This machine is generally a verticalmilling machine with several axes of control and with automatic toolchanging facilities. The tools are usually held in a rotary magazine, and tool changes are manded by the punched tape. Thus, with a machining center a plicated workpiece can be pletely machined on all faces except the base through a bination of milling, drilling, boring, facing, reaming, and tapping operations. This type of system is therefore most suitable for the batch production of main ponents. A further refinement of numerical control is adaptive control. This type of system can adapt itself to the prevailing circumstances. These circumstances are measured by the system itself and might include the power required for the machining operation, the wear of the cutting tool or grinding wheel, the forces generated, or the onset of chatter or instability. The system ideally would be designed for automatic adjustment of the feed, speed, or tool position to produce ponents at minimum cost and within the tolerance specified. Such a system would be very expensive and has not yet found wide application. A relatively simple