Fanuc memory expansion

viper · Mar 16, 2010

Friend of mine is fighting with some memory issues on various Fanuc machines. Just curious if memory expansion typically requires new boards or if there is simple a code to enable more memory in the control? I think the Routers are 256K memory and the A-61 is 1 meg. I am not sure what it might cost to turn on more memory. Guess it might be worth a service call to bump all of them up. I know I might have a couple of mine bumped up as well.

minder · Mar 16, 2010

Duplicate post
Minder.

minder · Mar 16, 2010

It can be increased to some point by option parameters, after which an add on board is required to be added.
What systems are they? I can probably tell you.
For the hardware expansion, Tulip Memory can supply Fanuc add on.
Minder.

Joe788 · Mar 16, 2010

It's pretty expensive. I had some quotes 5 or 6 years ago, and I remember the prices were high enough to be insulting.

These guys are a lot cheaper than Fanuc, but you still need somebody to install it. I was told it's not a simple plug and play affair:

http://www.tulipmemory.com/

I solved the problem by buying Mazaks.

viper · Mar 16, 2010

Controls are:
0T-C
160i-M
180i-M
210i-M
Pro III (Makino) might need to check on that one.

I think memory have been on of the single most frustrating things in the CNC business. Chips cost pennies yet OEMs want thousands to integrate more memory in the system. We were lucky enough years ago on a Tree to be able to integrate a hard drive for memory storage but would still have to call it up and move the program to RAM storage for machining so still ultimately limited to control memory.

To top it all off, standard options on machines usually give you a shade over zero memory so you get to buy memory right out of the blocks...

Boris · Mar 16, 2010

You wait until you have to replace a HDD on a TNC530i

£1000 !! inc carrier and fitting

And I bet they replace the borked one in the carrier witrh an el-cheapo HDD from the local PC shop :angry:

Boris

minder · Mar 16, 2010

The Fanuc i series I cannot tell you, for the 0, check par 901 for which bits are on and I can tell you if it is just software par or both.
Minder.

viper · Mar 16, 2010

0T-C par 901 is 11110000

minder · Mar 16, 2010

Looks like you have the bare minimum set, i.e. 20m (20 metres of tape).
Check PM.
Minder.

John Welden · Mar 16, 2010

My cell phone holds 32 gigs. Our Fanuc machines hold about one Meg. :angry:

So god damn frustrating. Fanuc, worst manuals, worst tech support, worst user interface, glad it's industry standard.

Fanuc doesn't give a crap. Everyone buys their crap no matter how much it sucks.

Joe788 · Mar 16, 2010

John Welden said:
Fanuc doesn't give a crap. Everyone buys their crap no matter how much it sucks.

This is gradually changing. Mazak is the worlds largest machine tool builder by dollars, and Haas is the worlds largest machine tool builder by unit volume.

I'll give you one guess as to what they have in common....

viper · Mar 16, 2010

I feel your pain John and have vented my frustrations over the years. Seems technology is light years behind in the CNC world. I realize there are some different concepts there like reliability, seemless performance, etc, but holy^&%^. It would be one thing to offer 500 dollar upgrades as the times went on but thousands of dollars for a few "K" of memory is just insane.

Never the less, I have 2 options, deal with it or build a company around a better CNC solution for machine builders. I would not concede to know more than Fanuc either and they certainly have built a rep as a reliable control system. However, it all seems light years behind.

John Welden · Mar 16, 2010

Joe788 said:
This is gradually changing. Mazak is the worlds largest machine tool builder by dollars, and Haas is the worlds largest machine tool builder by unit volume.

I'll give you one guess as to what they have in common....

I assume you mean that they come with hard drives and have virtually unlimited space?

I haven't used a Mazak or newer haas so I'm not sure how the HD works. Do you still have to load the program into the memory off of the HD or does it do it automatically.

My dream is for CAM to talk directly to the CNC. No G code, no posts no BS. What you see is what you get. Mazak and others who have really nice programing at the machine doesn't cut it for me. They're never going to compete with a full on CAM program. It would simplify things so much for the CAM to control the CNC directly. There are tons of possibilities with this sort of system. G code was great in 1980, lets move on.

viper · Mar 16, 2010

John Welden said:
My dream is for CAM to talk directly to the CNC. No G code, no posts no BS. What you see is what you get. Mazak and others who have really nice programing at the machine doesn't cut it for me. They're never going to compete with a full on CAM program. It would simplify things so much for the CAM to control the CNC directly. There are tons of possibilities with this sort of system. G code was great in 1980, lets move on.

Mostly agree but you will still need a universal language to communicate from CAM to CNC. That language has been G code. I think the code could use updating but I agree with have some type of universal language. Did someone say digital???? I think pecking through GD Gcode to make adjustments is stupid. There should be intuitive tools that handle adjustments in the form of questions and such much like some conversationals do now. No, I do not want to G0 to X0, I want to rapid to the end of the friggin table....

RJT · Mar 16, 2010

We solved this problem years ago with a good DNC system. Drip feed from a hard drive while you send and / or recieve programs to other machines. Even if you have to have a PC at each machine it's cheaper and more flexible. We did it with an inter company network and it has been absolutely flawless for 3 years now. RJT www.progtool.net

Mark McGrath · Mar 16, 2010

Joe788 said:
This is gradually changing. Mazak is the worlds largest machine tool builder by dollars, and Haas is the worlds largest machine tool builder by unit volume.

The biggest machine tool company in the world is Amada,strange as it may seem.

Tonytn36 · Mar 16, 2010

viper said:
I would not concede to know more than Fanuc either and they certainly have built a rep as a reliable control system. However, it all seems light years behind.

That rep is living on borrowed time...

Fanuc is one of the least reliable controls in our facility. IIRC we have 15, 16, 18, 21 and I think some 31 series.
We have Siemens, Mazak, Brother, Heidenhan, Okuma, and a few proprietary controls to compare it to.

My question is why do people keep buying that crap?....it's archaic, with limited functionality, and expensive.

jdj · Mar 16, 2010

viper said:
I feel your pain John and have vented my frustrations over the years. Seems technology is light years behind in the CNC world. I realize there are some different concepts there like reliability, seemless performance, etc, but holy^&%^. It would be one thing to offer 500 dollar upgrades as the times went on but thousands of dollars for a few "K" of memory is just insane.

I would not concede to know more than Fanuc either and they certainly have built a rep as a reliable control system. However, it all seems light years behind.

Well said! The miniscule amount of memory is an absolute joke!

Jeff

John Welden · Mar 16, 2010

Tonytn36 said:
My question is why do people keep buying that crap?....it's archaic, with limited functionality, and expensive.

I can think of a lot reasons:
1. It's been around forever and more less everyone knows how to use it.
2. It comes on a lot of specialized machines and you have no choice but to use it.
3. It may be the only control on the machine you can afford.
4. If you've got a production set up going, it's a lot easier to add an identical machine to the others that you have running.
5. Old machinist doesn't want to learn no god damn new system.
6. People like it.
7. The people that buy the machines aren't the ones that have to use them.
8......

I went to WESTEC a couple years ago and noticed that Citizen was starting to offer a fanuc control for their screw machines. Sales guy said a lot of customers on the east coast wouldn't buy their machines if they weren't fanuc. Seems crazy, but that's what he said. Who in the hell wants a fanuc interface on a 9 axis screw machine? It's back the the Windows industry standard thing.

jdj · Mar 16, 2010

John Welden said:
I can think of a lot reasons:
1. It's been around forever and more less everyone knows how to use it.
2. It comes on a lot of specialized machines and you have no choice but to use it.
3. It may be the only control on the machine you can afford.
4. If you've got a production set up going, it's a lot easier to add an identical machine to the others that you have running.
5. Old machinist doesn't want to learn no god damn new system.
6. People like it.
7. The people that buy the machines aren't the ones that have to use them.
8......
.

Every point is a good one, though I personally liked #7.

Jeff

Fanuc memory expansion

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