Historically, what medium was used to input and store machining instructions for NC machines?

Historically, what medium was used to input and store machining instructions for NC machines?

• A. Punch Cards
• B. Tape
• C. Paper Tape
• D. Magnetic Tape

Answer: (B)

Historically, NC programs were stored and fed to the machine on perforated paper tape. This tape carried the instructions as holes punched in a sequence, allowing the controller to read the program continuously and execute the machining steps. It made long, repeatable programs practical and easy to reuse, which isn’t as efficient with punch cards and came before magnetic storage became common. The broader term here is tape, which is the medium that carried the instructions into the machine, with paper tape being the typical form of that tape.

Historically, NC programs were stored and fed to the machine on perforated paper tape. This tape carried the instructions as holes punched in a sequence, allowing the controller to read the program continuously and execute the machining steps. It made long, repeatable programs practical and easy to reuse, which isn’t as efficient with punch cards and came before magnetic storage became common. The broader term here is tape, which is the medium that carried the instructions into the machine, with paper tape being the typical form of that tape.