Scania chooses Fanuc CNCs for new CGI machining lines

Fanuc GE has been chosen as the sole supplier of CNCs by Sweden's Scania for new machining lines. The line will produce a revised version of its flagship 15.6 litre V8 truck diesel engine, leading to a substantial volume increase in its V8 engine manufacture. The "unmatched reliability" of the Fanuc GE Series 31i CNCs was one of the prime reasons for the choice of Fanuc GE controls. Fanuc CNCs boast MTBFs of greater than 10 years; Scania established that its existing Fanuc controllers far outperformed the competition in terms of reliability. Factors such as high reliability, long-term availability of parts and ease of maintenance all reduce the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Only Fanuc GE Series 31i-A CNCs will be used on the two machining lines which will be supplied during 2008/9 by the MAG Powertrain Group of Germany. The two lines will be used to rough and semi-machine cylinder blocks and heads for the new range of engines. Both the cylinder heads and blocks will be made from compacted graphite iron (CGI), a high strength material that will help to reduce emissions. Start of production is expected around the middle of 2009. The Fanuc GE CNCs will use a production HMI called ‘FANUC Auto HMI-NC’, negating the need for PCs at the front-end. These specialised HMIs are customised to simplify production monitoring and operation in an automotive environment, making it easy for operators to move between machines, and facilitating management of production and machine maintenance. As the CNC alone controls each machine, all the potential pit-falls of PCs such as instability, dangers of viruses, short life-cycles, etc. are avoided. In fact, Fanuc’s long-term commitment, with guaranteed availability of spare parts for 25 years, was another key factor in the decision making process.