GE Fanuc Announces Proficy Machine Tool Efficiency V4.3 & Auto Backup

At IMTS, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms announced its support of MTConnect, a new communication protocol to link machine tools.

by DE Editors | Published September 10, 2008

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms (Chicago, IL), a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, announced an upgrade to Proficy Machine Tool Efficiency (MTE), its solution for connectivity and OEE for machine tools. Proficy MTE is a turnkey solution incorporating machine tool connectivity solutions to provide actionable root-cause analysis. It also provides a suite of remote diagnostic tools to maximize mean time between failures (MTBF) and minimize mean-time to repair (on display at IMTS in Chicago this week).

Also at IMTS 2008, GE Fanuc announced Proficy Change Management for CNC, which reduces the risk and costs associated with unplanned downtime by automatically backing up and controlling centralized storage of critical CNC files. It provides quick disaster recovery in the event a file is lost or corrupted on the machine tool because the availability of a current version of essential CNC files is ensured.

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms also announced its support of MTConnect, a new communication protocol to link machine tools from suppliers around the world. MTConnect will be launched by the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT) at IMTS 2008. GE Fanuc will demonstrate the integration of GE Fanuc CNC systems into an MTConnect Network and link multiple CNC controllers from both around the show and over the Internet to remote sites using the CIMPLICITY HMI software system.

MTConnect is based on XML, which offers widely recognized and accepted flexible representation for exchanging semi-structured machine-readable data. The standard will be open to ensure the widest possible acceptance and utility. MTConnect will use commercially available technologies and provide royalty-free reference implementations of sample software which can be used as-is, modified to suit special needs, reverse-engineered, or can be included in your own software system. The protocol will be rolled out in three phases.

For more information, visit GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.

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