PLC is a programmable logic controller.

It is a controller only. In generally it can be attached to multiple input and output devices. The outputs
can get connected to motors, pumps or any electromechanical device (this can even include connections
to CNC controllers and robots and vision systems...).

A CNC machine is a computer numerically controlled machine. It is the combination of an embedded

controller and a machine like a lathe or a mill. The controller is dedicated to one machine and the
combination is typically purchased as a package.

CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is a particular application usually to control a multi axis
machine tool such as a milling machine or a lathe but also could be a tube bending machine
punch press or similar.

The CNC controller is usually a purpose built controller using a micro computer but could be a
general purpose computer or a PLC. The forerunner was NC (Numerical Control) before
computers were readily available, it used solid state logic and relays, timers etc to provide the
application.

A PLC (Programable Logic Controller) is a general purpose logic controller specifically designed to allow
the user to create their own application. They select appropriate I/O (Inputs Outputs) and perhaps
function modules for purposes such as communications and multi axis servo control and program the
PLC to perform the required functions.

The first of these is Computer Numerical Control (CNC), a technology that facilitates the
automation of machine tools by means of computers that execute pre-programmed sequences.

“CNC was developed during the 50s and 60s as a logical progression from Computer Aided
Manufacturing (CAM) and tracer-based automation,” says Ian Baird, CNC Applications
Manager for FANUC’s Factory Automation Division. “Established alongside computer and
servo system developments, CNC helped manufacturers to meet their increasing requirements for
repeatable, high-precision production. Today, it’s formed of five main parts – a sequencer,
interpolator, servo controllers, logic controller and operator control interface – and is
synonymous with precision and control.”

Twenty years after CNC was first introduced, a cheaper and simpler form of computer-aided
control was developed: Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Ian says: “It’s strange that the
less sophisticated version of machine control was developed 20 years after its highly technical
predecessor, but PLC certainly served, and still serves, a purpose in factory automation.

“PLC was developed in the 1980s to supersede relay logic control systems, which were often less
cost-effective, flexible and easy to use because they relied on hardware to perform their key
functions. PLC has input and output functionality and can be programmed to perform sequential
operations, data processing, or simple axes control.”
Despite the two-decade age difference, PLC has never been intended to replace CNC, as Ian
explains. “Both serve very different purposes and marketplaces, with their own advantages and
disadvantages. Therefore, it would be limiting for anyone in industry to say: ‘I’ve invested in
CNC – there’s no room for PLC here’, because they are two entirely different controls.”

CNC is more frequently associated with the concept of automation because the scope of its use
extends beyond a simple input-output algorithm. Ian says: “Modern CNC is a flexible, digitally-
controlled system that can be tailored to suit a manufacturer’s needs without needing to re-
programme the entire system.

“Most modern CNCs also include user interfaces with built-in operation, maintenance and
diagnostic screens. For this reason, CNC is popular with people who want full control over their
machines, because its functionality does allow you to fly solo after a bit of training.”

The flexibility of CNC lends it perfectly to complex, multi-axis machining in almost any
industry.

“A CNC’s applications are limited only by your imagination,” says Ian. “Any application that
requires precision motion control needs CNC, whether that be the manufacture of watch parts
and medical devices, or reactive atomic plasma etching.”

PLC, on the other hand, is the perfect solution for simple control tasks. Ian says: “If you’ve got
an application that doesn’t need a high level of accuracy or flexible motion control, such as an
AC motor conveyor, then PLC is often the best choice. It’s cheaper than CNC, which would
arguably be better invested in more complex applications.”

There are some disadvantages to the simplicity of PLC, as Ian explains. “PLC does not have the
flexibility of CNC. This means that, if you need to change the programme even slightly, you
have to re-programme it entirely. It also doesn’t offer the precision of CNC and is therefore best
used as a low-cost solution for basic tasks.”

Despite PLC’s low cost, many manufacturers are choosing CNC over PLC, due in part to its
lower total cost of ownership. Ian says: “It is interesting to see many designers turning to CNC
after investing in PLC, largely for reasons of flexibility, reliability and cost. 

“The initial cost of CNC is higher than that of PLC, but your return on investment can be higher
in the long term because of the CNC’s higher reliability and control. It also gives system
designers the flexibility to dictate how much control they want users to have over their
machines.”

The long-term cost-effectiveness of CNC can be attributed to its advanced user-programmable

features, which can minimise downtime and control the energy usage or output of the machine

The automation of industrial processes is hardly a product of the last few years, but the concept
of automation is changing as Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things become more prevalent.
Alongside the picking, packing, palletising and conveying of former years, automation now
encompasses concepts such as zero-downtime, increased precision, high speeds, efficiency and
proactive maintenance. All of this is powered by digital, programmable systems that have been
developed and perfected over more than 60 years.

The first of these is Computer Numerical Control (CNC), a technology that facilitates the
automation of machine tools by means of computers that execute pre-programmed sequences.

“CNC was developed during the 50s and 60s as a logical progression from Computer Aided
Manufacturing (CAM) and tracer-based automation,” says Ian Baird, CNC Applications
Manager for FANUC’s Factory Automation Division. “Established alongside computer and
servo system developments, CNC helped manufacturers to meet their increasing requirements for
repeatable, high-precision production. Today, it’s formed of five main parts – a sequencer,
interpolator, servo controllers, logic controller and operator control interface – and is
synonymous with precision and control.”

Twenty years after CNC was first introduced, a cheaper and simpler form of computer-aided
control was developed: Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Ian says: “It’s strange that the
less sophisticated version of machine control was developed 20 years after its highly technical
predecessor, but PLC certainly served, and still serves, a purpose in factory automation.

“PLC was developed in the 1980s to supersede relay logic control systems, which were often less
cost-effective, flexible and easy to use because they relied on hardware to perform their key
functions. PLC has input and output functionality and can be programmed to perform sequential
operations, data processing, or simple axes control.”

Despite the two-decade age difference, PLC has never been intended to replace CNC, as Ian
explains. “Both serve very different purposes and marketplaces, with their own advantages and
disadvantages. Therefore, it would be limiting for anyone in industry to say: ‘I’ve invested in
CNC – there’s no room for PLC here’, because they are two entirely different controls.”

CNC is more frequently associated with the concept of automation because the scope of its use
extends beyond a simple input-output algorithm. Ian says: “Modern CNC is a flexible, digitally-
controlled system that can be tailored to suit a manufacturer’s needs without needing to re-
programme the entire system.

“Most modern CNCs also include user interfaces with built-in operation, maintenance and
diagnostic screens. For this reason, CNC is popular with people who want full control over their
machines, because its functionality does allow you to fly solo after a bit of training.”

The flexibility of CNC lends it perfectly to complex, multi-axis machining in almost any
industry.

“A CNC’s applications are limited only by your imagination,” says Ian. “Any application that
requires precision motion control needs CNC, whether that be the manufacture of watch parts
and medical devices, or reactive atomic plasma etching.”
PLC, on the other hand, is the perfect solution for simple control tasks. Ian says: “If you’ve got
an application that doesn’t need a high level of accuracy or flexible motion control, such as an
AC motor conveyor, then PLC is often the best choice. It’s cheaper than CNC, which would
arguably be better invested in more complex applications.”

There are some disadvantages to the simplicity of PLC, as Ian explains. “PLC does not have the
flexibility of CNC. This means that, if you need to change the programme even slightly, you
have to re-programme it entirely. It also doesn’t offer the precision of CNC and is therefore best
used as a low-cost solution for basic tasks.”

Despite PLC’s low cost, many manufacturers are choosing CNC over PLC, due in part to its
lower total cost of ownership. Ian says: “It is interesting to see many designers turning to CNC
after investing in PLC, largely for reasons of flexibility, reliability and cost. 

“The initial cost of CNC is higher than that of PLC, but your return on investment can be higher
in the long term because of the CNC’s higher reliability and control. It also gives system
designers the flexibility to dictate how much control they want users to have over their
machines.”

The long-term cost-effectiveness of CNC can be attributed to its advanced user-programmable

features, which can minimise downtime and control the energy usage or output of the machine.

Ian says: “A lot of CNCs now come equipped with AI contour control. This means you can
control the machine to be within a certain workload, or adaptively control the machine for
working overnight. For example, you can programme it so that it only works at 80 percent load,
allowing you to be more economical with your energy usage.

“CNCs also come equipped with energy efficiency functions, such as energy charge modules.
These help you to size your machine equipment to the average power duty of the machine, thus
reducing factory overhead.”

The added safety functions of CNCs lend themselves well to collaborative working with humans.
Ian says: “CNCs come equipped with a digital algorithm that looks after the motion control. This
digital system is formed of two parts: a real digital data system and an observer digital system.
The observer acts like the “ideal”, providing the machine with the parameters in which it should
be working. The real and the observer are both driven by the same command, so they should be
working in exactly the same way.

“If the real system encounters a disruption, such as an unexpected load, then this causes the real
data to deviate from the observer data. The machine will translate this as a collision and respond
in one of two ways. If it’s moving slowly, it will stop, and if it’s moving quickly, it will perform
a ‘vectored back-off’, where it will retract any moving machinery to avoid damage.
“For high-end machines, you can also incorporate 3D technology, which stops five-axis
machinery from moving outside of its pre-determined work envelope.”

Alongside safety, zero-downtime is an important consideration for manufacturers looking to

automate their processes.  Ian says: “Unplanned downtime is expensive: it can halt production
for days, weeks, or even months. An undetected fault could cause irreversible damage to
machinery, and even be hazardous to human operatives.

“Although it’s unrealistic to expect factories to work seamlessly 24/7, we can aim to minimise
downtime caused by minor faults or errors.”

This is where the concept of predictive maintenance comes into play, which, as Ian explains, is
facilitated by CNC control technology. “Predictive maintenance allows us to spot potential
problems before they occur, and act accordingly before they become serious”, he says. “We do
this by employing the automation technology that controls the machine as a kind of watchman.

“For example, a CNC can monitor the components it controls and alert the user to any anomalies
in their performance. This allows the user to get spare parts and service organised. In this way,
any downtime is planned in advance, and won’t impact production.”

With all of these advantages over its younger sibling, is CNC destined to become the sole tool of
the factory of the future? Ian says: “It’s tempting to dismiss PLC as cheap and cheerful, but it
still has a vital part to play in automation.

“The best example of this is a production line. CNC may be controlling the robot arms, the
tooling, milling, grinding, and so on, but PLC is powering the belt that takes a product or
material from one part of the line to the next. The complexity of CNC does not lend it well to
such tasks and would be wasted. As part of a factory floor, where simple and complex tasks are
done simultaneously, CNC and PLC work perfectly together.”

With CNC and PLC both maintaining a place in manufacturing’s tool-kit, it is now important to
look at how they can be developed. For Ian, the world of Big Data and collaboration beckons.

“Industrial control systems will continue to evolve, and this will largely come in the form of
specialisations suited to specific industries”, he says. “Third-parties will also exploit the concept
of an open interface in order to integrate the factory with the Internet of Things. With this will
come intelligent machines and data collection and analysis on a vast scale, which will help us to
identify further process improvements.”

Only time will be able to tell how CNC and PLC adapt to the factory of the future, but it is clear
that they will both form a part of it, if not always working in collaboration.

Ian says: “It’s horses for courses really, and there will be instances where one is better than the
other. When all’s said and done, it’s a case of choosing the right tool for the right job, which is
essentially what engineering is all about.”
“Computer numerical control” (CNC) is a method for automating control of machine tools
through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. It is commonly
used in manufacturing for machining metal and plastic parts. CNC is generally using Numerical
Code for automate operation. CNC is widely used to control Servo Motor Operation.

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an electronic device that takes input from the plant /
machine via sensors and transmitters, executes the logic programmed in its memory and
generates the useful outputs on actuators to control plant / machine. PLC is generally used in
Process Plants & Machines .

PLC is widely used in all automation application.

Richard E. Morley of Bedford Associates had invented the first PLC as a consulting project for
General Electric in 1968. Bedford Associates is currently named Modicon and is a supplier of
PLCs.
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is a particular application usually to control a multi axis
machine tool such as a milling machine or a lathe but also could be a tube bending machine
punch press or similar. The CNC controller is usually a purpose built controller using a micro
computer but could be a general purpose computer or a PLC. The forerunner was NC (Numerical
Control) before computers were readily available, it used solid state logic and relays, timers etc
to provide the application.

A PLC (Programable Logic Controller) is a general purpose logic controller specifically

designed to allow the user to create their own application. They select appropriate I/O (Inputs
Outputs) and perhaps function modules for purposes such as communications and multi axis
servo control and program the PLC to perform the required functions.