New Product Announcements From: 2/20/2008 Modern Machine Shop GE Fanuc Automation's new pressure and position controller provides new functionality for the Power Mate i-H, an eight-axis positioning CNC suitable for general industrial machines. The newly-developed pressure and position control function is said to enable the best operation by combining position control and highly accurate pressure control, which uses feedback from a pressure sensor.

The pressure and position control function enables both a positional control command and pressure control command to be specified at the same time. This function is said to be useful for performing press-fitting of pins, die-cushion of a servopress or bending of sheet metal by highly accurate pressure and positional control.

This controller is an axis-control function that automatically selects and executes position control based on a positional control command when no force is applied to the axis and automatically selects and executes pressure control based on a pressure command when an external force is applied to the axis.

According to the company, the system provides very precise control but uses standard components—no special equipment is needed.