Patent ID: 7343660

Claim:
A control system for controlling a plurality of numerically controlled machine tools capable of selectively performing similar or different machining operations on parts delivered to said machine tools, which parts may be the same or different and each of which has a process indica associated therewith, comprising: storage means for storing parts; delivery means, having access to each of the parts is said storage means and to each of said machine tools, for delivering a selected part between said storage means and selected of the machine tools; central computer means comprising a plurality of programs for controlling machining operations at all of the machine tools; control means responsive to any one of said process indicia for coupling to any one of said machine tools the program from said central computer means which controls the machining operation to be performed on a part delivered to said one machine tool and which part is identified by the process indicia associated therewith; part identification means for identifying the process indicia of a part, including a record medium carried along with said part and forming said process indicia, and a read unit associated with at least one machine tool and responsive to the record medium for identifying said process indicia represented thereby; said control means including at least one data link connected between said central computer means and each of said machine tools for coupling programs to the machine tools associated therewith, and means for connecting the program identified by the process indicia to the data link for the machine tool at which the part is located.