IMTS BOOTH D-4202

GE Fanuc Showcases Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing Solutions at IMTS

CHICAGO - September 4, 2002 - GE Fanuc Automation is showcasing Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing solutions for machine tool end users at the IMTS 2002 show, September 4-11, Chicago, Booth D-4202. Lean manufacturing is a best practice that identifies sources of waste in a company-including rework, overproduction, transportation, inventory, waiting, and unnecessary processing or motion -and systematically eliminates them. Six Sigma involves a proven set of disciplined, statistical methodologies to define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) quality in products, processes and transactions to improve operational efficiency. In combination, Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing powers continuous process improvement to decrease costs, reduce lead times and enable companies to better meet the needs of their customers.

"As GE-one of the largest companies in the world-has discovered in its own manufacturing facilities, incremental improvements to processes can add up quickly to a big bottom line impact for the business," said Douglas Peterson, vice president of GE Fanuc's CNC and Laser Business. "Our IMTS booth highlights some of the most effective ways that companies using CNCs can improve their productivity through Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing." These include:

• Reducing setup time can allow companies to manufacture products more quickly and decrease costly inventories. GE Fanuc is demonstrating several solutions for decreasing machine tool CNC setup time, including Manual Guide i for fast, easy programming in milling and lathe applications, the new Compound Machining control solution for multi-process machines, powerful tool management capabilities and, with Renishaw, a comprehensive offering of inspection and tool-setting probes.
• Total Productive Maintenance, or Reliability-Centered Maintenance, can ensure that machines are up and running when customers need parts and incorporates everything from machine availability to failure modes and effects analyses of reliability, part quality, productivity and cost-effectiveness problems. GE Fanuc is highlighting several CNC features that can provide analysis data and increase a machine's process capabilities in these critical areas, including new Servo Guide automatic servo tuning and such powerful built-in CNC maintenance features as ladder edit and maintenance, servo and spindle waveform display and remote diagnostics. GE Fanuc's Total Productive Maintenance offering also includes training, machine optimization and other service offerings.
• Single-Piece Flow Production Optimization builds into the machine processes that minimize cycle times. GE Fanuc is showcasing 5-axis compensation and high-speed machining features, along with demonstrations of the advantages of NURBS interpolation and ease of setup for high-speed machining applications.
• Value Stream Mapping and Analysis using real-time CNC data on a variety of metrics related to performance and throughput allows companies to accurately document the current and future performance of the processes. GE Fanuc is showing a variety of connectivity strategies and high-speed, flexible communication options that can be applied to the machine shop to collect the required data.
• Lean Manufacturing in Action features a simulated automotive plant that demonstrates how end users can apply the full range of GE Fanuc solutions to achieve Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing. An adjacent communications area demonstrates GE Fanuc's leading-edge Ethernet connectivity capabilities, which are available for all new and legacy CNC products dating back to 1987.
  
  Furthermore, GE Fanuc is showcasing several new, cutting-edge control products, including the Series 15i-MB, a top-of-the-line CNC; the Series 0i-Mate and Series 0i-B economical CNCs for commodity machine tools; and the 18i-MB for 5-axis machining. In addition, three machines are demonstrating GE Fanuc's latest advanced servo technology features.
  
  About GE Fanuc Automation
  GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., is a leading global supplier of automation solutions and is a joint venture between GE and FANUC, LTD of Japan. GE Fanuc products and services include CIMPLICITYŽ collaborative production management software, nano to high-end PLCs, a wide range of CNCs, motion control, operator interfaces, industrial computers, critical control and safety systems, lasers, and a wide range of integration and customer support services. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., GE Fanuc is part of GE Industrial Systems. For more information, visit www.gefanuc.com. 

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