Dating numerical control

Automotive Industries, Oct, 2003 by Bob Telep

Numerical control is much older than 1958 ("Flexibility is King" Aug 2003). John Parsons' pioneering work in 1948 for the U.S. Air Force is documented at http://www.tadesite.com/parsons.mgi

Bob Telep

Livonia, Mi

I am aware of the seminal work of John Parsons, but I appreciate the greater detail mid insight you provided. He is rightly called the Father of Numerical Control. I do think, however, that NC only gained critical mass with the development of the Automatic Programmed Tool (APT) programming language at the Servomechanisms Lab at MIT in the late 1950s. That really opened the floodgates. Thanks for your comments.--ed.