Media Contact:
Alicia Bowers
410-242-0300
alicia.bowers@gefanuc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GE Fanuc Automation Launches New Top-of-the-Line Series 30i CNC
for Higher Efficiency and Effectiveness in Machine Tool Applications

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - March 8, 2004 - GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc., a unit of GE Infrastructure, has introduced the new, top-of-the-line Series 30i CNC - which is designed to help manufacturers achieve new levels of accuracy, reliability and efficiency in all machine tool operations. With industry-leading processing speeds, this new CNC can reduce rework, increase throughput and help users become more competitive than ever before.

"Today's machine tool professionals are facing extraordinary challenges," stated Douglas Peterson, vice president, CNCs and Lasers, GE Fanuc Automation. "Their machining jobs are becoming increasingly complex, while intense competition forces them to keep costs extremely low. With the new Series 30i CNC from GE Fanuc, machine shops can exceed these demands through improved process efficiency and shorter production cycles."

Power & Precision
The Series 30i CNC is an enhanced version of the current Series 15i-MB and 16i Model B, and boasts some of the most powerful and sophisticated CPUs and internal communication bus technology available today. An ideal replacement for Series 15 or 16 users who require enhanced CNC functionality, the Series 30i can control up to 40 independent axes and execute up to 10 independent NC part programs simultaneously. Featuring improvements for exceeding the high-speed, high-precision and high-quality performance demands of today's machine tool professional, the Series 30i's interpolation cycle is eight times as fast as the conventional interpolation cycle, delivering quicker cutting with improved accuracy for improvements in quality and part cycle time.

In addition, nanometer interpolation (1/1,000,000 mm) is done for all internal operations of the CNC and is performed for all machining regardless of whether the machining type is milling or turning, enabling smooth and precise motor control. The look-ahead feature is expanded to 1,000 blocks while block processing time is as fast as 0.4 ms. This timing significantly improves the minute linear segment block processing capability required for sculptured surface machining, as well as complicated geometries for die machining.

Easy to use
The Series 30i was also designed from the ground-up to be extremely easy to use. Meeting the industry's needs for easier to view displays and simplified navigation, the Series 30i provides a new large display unit equipped with a 15-inch color liquid-crystal display (LCD) in addition to the conventional 8.4- and 10.4-inch color LCDs. New vertically arranged soft keys allow more intuitive, easy-to-understand CNC operations and for operators who are familiar with personal computers, a QWERTY keyboard can also be provided. The display language can be selected from 15 languages and changed "on-the-fly" by softkey selection, making the CNC an ideal solution for global corporations or those machine tool professionals with a multicultural workforce.

Versatile
The PMC (Programmable Machine Control) has also been enhanced significantly. The PMC CPU is a RISC type processor that does the sequencing for the machine control, enabling up to three ladders to run independently without any degradation in the speed of the ladder paths. As a result, the PMC can provide flexible, high-speed sequence control required for machine tools with peripheral equipment like part loading, gantries, shuttles and more.

To ensure trouble free use in a harsh environment, the Series 30i uses a new error correcting code and periodically backs-up user data in flash memory, facilitating quick restoration of system memory in the case of accidental erasure.

Customizable
The Series 30i is available as an Open System CNC with the Series 300i - a high performance Open CNC that supports Windows 2000 or XP. Another option is the Series 300is, a highly reliable Open CNC using Windows CE.NET. Both of the Open System CNCs support the FANUC Open CNC API Specifications version 2 (FOCAS2) as the interface for information exchange between the CNC and a personal computer to allow a wide range of information exchange.

A wide variety of customizing tools are provided to allow machine tool builders to manufacture machine tools with value-added features to help them differentiate their machine from the competition. CNC screens are made up of combinations of parts, and users can employ definition files to freely change the layout of screen parts. With the expanded custom macros, axis motion and I/O signal processing can be performed in parallel while synchronization with the NC program is maintained. Many applications such as simple control of peripheral equipment are made possible through these enhancements.

Robust Features for Expanded Applications
All the enhancements built into the Series 30i make it capable of a diverse array of expanded machine tool applications, including: die machining; multi-process machining for milling, turning and grinding; 5-axis machine tools; multi-head machines; dial index machines; transfer line machines; and linear motor machines, which use more axes and more paths to improve efficiency.

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 Infrastructure 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, Fax: 434-978-5205, e-mail: gefanuc@gefanuc.com.