New Industry Products

GE Fanuc Offers Enhanced Series 15i CNC

May 31, 2001 by Jeff Shepard

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.”