GE Fanuc (Charlottesville, VA) reports that it has enhanced its Series 15i CNC to provide new multiple five-axis machining features, permitting high-speed cutting. With nanometer interpolation, high-precision contouring control, and a high-speed CPU, the Series 15i offers enhanced part-finish quality by controlling up to 24 axes.
Capable of simultaneous five-axis contouring, the Series 15i delivers dynamic three-dimensional tool offset and cutter-radius compensation with tool center-point programming, dynamic three-dimensional part compensation, and manual three-dimensional setup operations. Additionally, tool offsets can be set after the part program is posted. The tool center point (TCP) programming, as opposed to point-to-point, is claimed to offer truly dynamic performance. The TCP is tool-independent. Both the TCP and feed rate are controlled. Additional features include high network connectivity and a library of software options. Finally, the Series 15i CNC supports “machine anywhere,” making posted programs interchangeable from machine to machine.
“As machines and machining processes become faster and more complicated, a quicker, more sophisticated control is needed,” stated Bill Griffith, CNC product manager for GE Fanuc. “The Series 15i meets this need, including the specialized requirements of multi-axis machining.”