GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms Announces miView Machine Intelligence Solution to Improve Efficiency and Eliminate Waste in Machine Tool Applications

Charlottesville, VA, September 21, 2009    GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, today announced the availability of miView, a comprehensive new machine intelligence solution designed to provide companies with accurate and unbiased data automatically to help teams improve the efficiency of their processes and eliminate waste. GE Fanuc combined its machining industry and data collection domain expertise with GE’s Lean Six Sigma culture and manufacturing knowledge to design a solution that is built specifically to address the unique challenges being faced by discrete parts manufacturers today. 

miView is a unique, out-of-the-box solution specifically designed for machine tools, providing extensive connectivity to current and future equipment that can help users begin to collect insightful information right away. It is a web-based application that allows the information to be accessed freely anywhere on the network, without per-user licensing, and provides comprehensive data collection from GE Fanuc, FANUC, Siemens and the other third-party CNCs integrated into new and existing machine tools. It uses the best connectivity solution available for each machine type to maximize the value of the data collected.

Unlike traditional data collection systems, miView is specifically designed for the unique data and user requirements of machine tools, making it a perfect fit for any size company looking to improve upon the efficiency of existing machines – a valuable asset in today’s economic environment. And unlike in-house solutions used by many smaller shops, miView is completely expandable and supportable for long-term viability.

“With increasingly aggressive global competition and with the current economic outlook, manufacturers today are facing some of the most challenging conditions ever,” said Tomo Ishibe, Executive Vice President of GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms. “As a result, machining operations must focus on reducing costs and improving process efficiency in order to survive and be positioned for growth in the future.”

Manufacturers typically increase production capacity by duplicating existing machines that are only being utilized to 30-40% of their effectiveness. Using miView, companies will minimize downtime and optimize machining cycle times generating additional production capacity. By uncovering this hidden capacity in the factory, more products can be produced with the same or fewer assets, and Return on Total Capital (ROTC) can be increased for a sustainable advantage in the marketplace.

miView collects information on spindle utilization for every part produced on each machine, capturing how much of the cycle time the equipment is actually in cutting mode. This provides insight into the efficiency of CAM system post-processors, identifying potential optimization. It uncovers discrepancies between different machines producing the same part - information that may be useful when considering shop loading or future machine purchases. Variations by machine or by shift can also be evaluated for best practices or for process improvement. And it provides information to evaluate the profitability of each job for each customer. GE Fanuc’s years of experience collecting data from machine tools shows that customers may be able to improve spindle utilization by 10% or more through relatively low cost investments, if you use the data to identify common problems and then take action.

In addition, miView can assist maintenance teams with real-time machine status and escalating alerts to ensure faster response to equipment downtime. The top 10 problems of a machine or group of machines can be identified and permanent corrective actions can be implemented. Historical information and analysis empowers maintenance personnel with the information to create effective preventative maintenance programs to minimize unplanned downtime, especially on critical assets.

“GE Fanuc offers powerful technology expertise and unparalleled domain experience in machining in the aerospace, automotive, power generation, oil and gas and related industries,” continued Ishibe. “By leveraging proven methodologies and best practices, we deliver practical data collection and analysis solutions designed to meet critical goals. We understand what it takes to transform operations, and we are committed to turning vision into reality by delivering real results.”

GE Fanuc is hosting a free webinar on September 30 entitled, "miView: A new perspective on machine performance."  Register online for the live or archived event at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/759345017.  

To learn more about miView and the rest of GE Fanuc's machine intelligence software solutions, visit www.gefanuc.com/misolutions.   

 

Elli Holman, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms

508-698-7456; elli.holman@ge.com