FANUC Smart Options to Improve Older CNC Machine Tools

FANUCs newest 3xi and 0i-F series controls have been released and both include great options for control retrofits.

The capabilities of today's FANUC control systems can provide powerful options to older machines that can improve your machines performance and ability. Collectively known as FANUC Smart Options, control features like Smart Backlash Control, Smart Overlap, Smart Machining Point Control, Smart Thermal Control, and Smart Rigid Tapping are available on FANUC’s latest control models (the 3xi-B and 0i-F series).

These Smart Options enable a wide variety of benefits such as increased accuracy, reduced cycle time, and improved surface finish.
These benefits are made possible by the close monitoring and impressive response capability of the control to the changing conditions of the servo, spindle and machine tool systems. By carefully monitoring motor loads and positional feedback, FANUC Smart Options can automatically adjust feed rates, acceleration, and deceleration of axes. In doing so, the control can now make extremely precise adjustments, almost instantly, to adjust/compensate for changing machine conditions.


Smart Backlash Control
To reduce the effects of mechanical backlash in a system the control can quickly accelerate the servo motor when reversing direction, then automatically slow down to the desired feed rate when the load is sensed back on the motor. This can greatly increase part accuracy while reducing part defects

Smart Spindle-Load Control
While cutting the control can automatically adjust axis feed rates to ensure the spindle load stays as consistent as possible, which improves surface finishes and increases tool life. There are aftermarket hardware devices that do this today with varying degrees of success but Fanuc’s option is a software only, thereby greatly reducing installation time and cost.

Smart Servo Control with AI Contour Control II+
FANUC AI Contour Control II Plus reads ahead in the part program, allowing the control to anticipate upcoming commands. This allows the control to adjust axes speed, as needed, to provide the most accurate and smoothest contouring while generating the smallest path segments possible.

Smart Feed-Axis Acc/Dec
With optimal servo tuning the control can now estimate work inertia while machining. This allows the control to maximize velocity feedforward as well as acceleration and deceleration. By optimizing the velocities the control can reduce path error and cycle time.

Smart Rigid Tapping
With automatic tuning of the servo systems the control can take optimal advantage of the acceleration and deceleration time constants, allowing the FANUC control to maximize spindle power. This reduces cycle time by approaching and extracting the tapping cycle at maximum speeds.

Smart Overlap
By automatically recognizing a change in direction in the tool path, smart overlap allows the control to deviate from a precise stop and direction change in rapid, thus allowing for smoother and faster cornering between G00 and G01 commands. This can significantly help reduce cycle times in programs with large axes travels or many programmed rapid moves.

Smart Thermal Control
With temperature feedback from the spindle motor and program look ahead by the processor, the FANUC control can automatically slow down feed rates at a designated rate to prevent the system from overheating. This helps prevent program interruptions from alarms while performing heavy cuts.

These options are a few examples of what the power of a new FANUC control package can provide. Manufactures can now take advantage of these cost effective solutions to increase productivity on their older running machining assets. The FANUC Authorized CNC System Integration experts at CNC Engineering, Inc. can help manufacturers select and integrate the best FANUC CNC control package for their machine.