GE Fanuc Automation to Feature Total Productivity Solutions at IMTS
Innovative Control Systems and OEE Solutions Ensure Continuous Improvements to Business Productivity
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - September 6, 2006 - GE Fanuc Automation, a unit of GE Industrial and the leading supplier of computer numerical controls and related products, will be showcasing hardware, software and machine tool productivity solutions at this year's IMTS conference September 6 - 13, 2006 at the McCormick Center in Chicago, Illinois.
"Our first ever state-of-the-art GE Fanuc Industrial Software Pavilion, now located in the South Hall, will showcase the full line of software solutions available to machine tool builders and manufacturers today," said Tomoaki Ishibe, Executive Vice President of GE Fanuc Automation's CNC division. "In addition, to mark the 20 year anniversary of the joint venture with our technology partner, FANUC LTD, GE Fanuc plans to demonstrate this solid platform of experience, growth, cooperation and collaboration with FANUC LTD and FANUC Robotics through an all emcompassing demonstrations of manufacturing technology."
GE Fanuc has selected "Changing the Game" as its booth theme this year. "Our technology, productivity solutions and customer service enable manufacturers to win through partnering with GE Fanuc in what is an extremely competitive market," said Ishibe, "Changing the Game demonstrates the competitive advantage we provide to our customers around the world."
Intelligent productivity solutions from GE Fanuc, including our Proficy® Machine Tool Efficiency (MTE) software program, pinpoint production bottlenecks and improve the overall equipment effectiveness of existing machine tools. The new Proficy MTE version 4.0 will be highlighted at IMTS through feature demonstrations of how this product collects real-time availability, performance and quality data from machine tools, and analyzes it visually to show trends, understand the dynamics of the shop floor and identify root causes of cost inefficiencies for immediate action.
Four main software areas will be the focus of the Software portion of the Pavilion: GE Fanuc Production Management Solutions, including award-winning Proficy Plant Applications and HMI/SCADA software packages; GE Fanuc Machine Tool Solutions; Discrete Solutions for Assembly Industries, such as automotive, highlighted by industry-leading Proficy Tracker; and "sneak peeks" of next generation products meeting the needs of manufacturers in the future.
"GE Fanuc's plant-wide products, both software and hardware, allow companies to improve efficiency, control costs and reduce waste," Ishibe continued.
Because of the importance of, and focus on, 5-Axis Machining in the industry today, GE Fanuc will be demonstrating High Performance and 5-Axis capabilities that have recently been developed on GE Fanuc CNCs to make programming and operation easier.
New 5-axis features to be presented at IMTS include:
o Tool center point control and 3-D cutter compensation eliminate requirement for qualified tooling in 5-axis machining so that programming time and tooling cost are reduced.
o Workpiece Setting Error Compensation and Rotary Table Dynamic Fixture Offset greatly reduce machine setup time.
o Tilted Working Plane Command (coordinate system conversion) and 3-D manual feed simplifies positional 5-axis machining, which is widely used in prismatic part cutting.
o Spline interpolations, such as NURBS and Nano Smoothing, together with 5-axis compensation significantly improve sculptured surface accuracy.
GE Fanuc will showcase its industry-leading core family of CNCs as well - the Series(TM) 30i family, the Series 16i family, and the Series 0i-c offering cost-effective, reliable control with high-end performance.
"From multi-axis, high precision machines to simple mill, turn and grind applications, our CNC systems combine reliable hardware, software and services," Ishibe continued. "All of these add up to continuous improvements in plant floor productivity."
About GE Fanuc Automation
GE Fanuc Automation, a joint venture between GE and FANUC LTD of Japan, delivers automation hardware and software designed to help users reduce costs, increase efficiency and enhance profitability. With solutions and services catering to virtually every industrial segment, GE Fanuc Automation provides a diverse array of capabilities and products, including controllers, embedded systems, advanced software, motion control, CNCs, operator interfaces, industrial computers, and lasers. Headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, GE Fanuc Automation is a part of GE Industrial and combines the diverse global strengths of the GE family with the local presence customers need to design, develop and maintain their automation investments.
For more information, visit www.gefanuc.com or contact: GE Fanuc Information Center, P.O. Box 8106, Charlottesville, VA 22906, Phone: (800) GE FANUC (800-433-2682), Fax: 434-978-5205, e-mail: gefanuc@gefanuc.com.
