A scanning rheometer is presented for the rheological property measurement of electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids using a non-linear viscoplastic model, based on the fluid height variation with respect to time. The numerical controller also calculates a second operable feedrate based on the arc radius of the machining path and the allowable acceleration to which servo position control can respond, and selects the minimum feedrate from the commanded feedrate and the calculated first and second feedrate to perform speed control. Each access point is adapted to provide any user terminal with wireless communications access to the core network when that user terminal becomes affiliated with that access point.