[Jfrahm]

SO 11M 6 T Oi 21 i 10 T I'M NEW SO IS THERE AN ORDER WHEN EACH CONTROLLER CAME OUT I ASSUME THE T IS LATHE AND THE M IS MILL ,OR AT LEAST THATS WOT MY PARTNER SAID.WERE LOOKING AT LATHES AND OUR MILL AS AN 11M.JUST WANT TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE IF POSSIPLE:withstupi

[bob1371]

the approximate chronology of models numbers was as
follows:

20A & 30A Very early servo motor types - tape fed, 2 and 3 axis,
respectively
20C & 30C Microprocessor CNC controls in 2 & 3 axis forms
2000C & 3000C Advanced from 20 & 30
5T for lathes & 5M for mills BIG improvements in reliability
7T for lathes up to 4 axes & 7M for mills Superb; but too complicated
9M for mills over 4 axes Just complicated, not superb
6T for lathes & 6M for mills BIG improvement with integral PLC
(6 series also had bubble memory - non-volatile, non-battery, but
slow)
5T & 5M again, updated and with optional integral PLC
6TB & 6MB Advanced from original 6 models
3T for lathes (I don't recal a 3M model)
3TD for lathes With graphic FAPT (Fanuc APT) programming
10T and 10M
11T and 11M (built and shipped concurrently with 10 series)
10TT and 11TT Four axis versions of turning controls
(10 and 11 turning models had FAPT options. Some M versions did
too.)
15T and 15M A major update from the 10/11 series. Up to 9(?) axes.
OT and OM A lower cost counterpoint to the 15 series
OTB and OMB Updated, and with more options
OTB Alpha and OMB Alpha With more servo and feedback system variety,
and a slew
of software options.


Then came 18's and 21's, and more updates to the 0 series, and "i"
models, and more and more that I haven't even tried to keep track of, or
to understand unless I happen to be looking one right in the face.


The main differences in (I'll stick to the newer controls) 15, 16, 18, and
21 is the number of axes it can control simultaneously.


A 15 Series has control of 12(? more than 10 though) Axes, that's why you
see them alot on CNC Multi Spindle Routers, 5 Axis Machines, etc... To a CNC
Control, every motor that has an encoder is an axis. X,Y,Z, A,B,C, +
Spindle, + Tool Changer Arm, + Tool Magazine, etc... You get the picture.
A 15 Series has High Speed Machining Capability up to NURBS interpolation
with 1ms Block Processing Time.


A 16i Series has the same capabilities as a 15MC but can control fewer axes
simultaneously.


An 18i Series Control has the same capabilites as the 16i but can control
fewer axes simultaneous, and it is limited to 2ms Block Processing time with
the RISC Option (to the best of my rememberance - please correct me if I am
wrong)


An example of capability difference between the 16i and 18i:


You have two identical Machines, Mori Seiki SV-500 for example. Both have
Nikken Rotary on Rotary tables (A and B axes). One has a 16i Control and the
other has an 18i. The machine with the 16i can do full 5 axis rotary motion
(Technically 6 because the spindle is running as well). The machine with the
18i control can only do full 4 axis rotary motion with the 5th axis
available only for an index situation (Technically 5 because the spindle is
running)


The 21 series controls have more features than the O Series controls but are
not as powerful as the 18,16, or 15.


Of course with all controls you have different options from both fanuc and machine builder.
hope this helps.

Bob