ROBERT G. CHAMBERLAIN NUMERICAL CONTROL COLLECTION, 1954-1984, #527

Scope and Content

Chamberlain's review of his work in the field of numerical control is detailed in his personal "Recollections of a Pioneer Numerical Control Programmer," which comprises Series 1. This is a roughly chronological summary of his career, presenting his major work experiences and accomplishments at Gidding & Lewis from his initial employment there in 1954 through his retirement in 1983, along with some post-retirement free-lance work. Major technological problems and challenges that Chamberlain encountered are described, together with the changing roles he played at Giddings & Lewis as he was promoted or shifted from position to position. Several important foreign trade missions in which Chamberlain participated, including a 1979 trip to China, are also described.

Series 2 of the collection includes numerous speeches and articles that Chamberlain gave or wrote over a period of more than 20 years on the subject of numerical control of manufacturing operations. They relate to the use of computers in controlling machine tools and to problems of ensuring accuracy in metal cutting and forming operations under computer controls. These are arranged in chronological order.

From 1963 to 1973, Chamberlain was intimately involved in the work of the Numerical Controls Committee of the National Machine Tool Builders Association (NMTBA). Records of this group found in Series 3 of the collection document the expanding use of numerical control technology. They include projects to increase the accuracy of numerically-controlled machining operations and to standardize the computer language used in such operations.

Series 4 of the collection documents an official trade mission to China in which Chamberlain participated (1979), as well as his meetings with French numerical control industry colleagues in the U.S. (1971) and in France (1980).

Series 5 of the collection consists of slides used to illustrate some of Chamberlain's lectures. Series 6 contains 2 reels of film about Giddings & Lewis' development of numerical control technology.

Provenance

This collection was donated to the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History by Mr. Chamberlain in February 1995. Click here to go to series 1 and 2.

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