Motion Control Resource Center

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Controls engineers need a variety of information on motion control elements that include drives, motors, servos and steppers, motion software, motion controllers, hydraulics, pneumatics, electromechanical, linear actuators, power supplies, valves and cylinders.

Motion control systems are some of the most rapidly evolving elements in modern machine automation. The more traditional motion control solutions that involve a mostly mechanical array of components now makes way for sophistciated combinations of electronic hardware and software that provide levels of performance unheard of a decade ago.

Electronic drives provide the means for enhanced speed, position, and torque control compared with mechanical options.

Both AC motors and DC motors are applicable for motion control, depending on factors such as available power or the specific motion function requirements.

Servo motors and stepper motors and their requisite controllers are responsible for some of the more dramatic changes in motion control capability, most often used for precise rotary positioning applications. Integrated servo motor and drive units combine simplicity and space-savings for small footprint motion control needs.

Linear motion and its control are carried out through the use of electromechanical components such as ballscrews and leadscrews, belt-driven linear slides and guides, pneumatic cylinders, and direct-drive linear motors.

Hydraulic-based power and control are used for many motion control applications with high-power requirements not easily matched by electric motors.

Timely news, back-to-basics primers, feature articles, technical white papers and descriptions of the latest products all provide valuable insights that can be used in designing and building modern motion control systems.

Don't Over-Specify Ethernet Switches
Industrial Ethernet Can Operate in Harsh Environments. They Are Ideal for Heavy Manufacturing Applications That Can't Abide Any Downtime

Push and Pull of Electronic Drives
Electric Drives Can Work Against Each Other. In Many Web-Processing Machines, Drives Work Toward Opposite Ends

New Game for Programmable Safety
New ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 Machine Safety Standards are Stricter, Pushing More Builders to Include Programmable Safety in Their Machine Design

Candymaker Combines, Simplifies Controls
Cama Handles Chocolates With an Integrated Approach That Needs Only One Controller for Three Delta Robots

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White Papers: In Depth Research

Optimizing Drive Systems for Energy Savings
Author: William B. Gilbert, Siemens Energy & Automation
Posted: 02/17/2012
Several areas should be considered when looking for potential opportunities to reduce energy consumption via the drive system.

The use of a common DC bus architecture as an alternative to individually powered AC drives will conserve energy by sharing the normally wasted regenerative energy from unwinds and other regenerating driven sections. In addition to sharing and saving energy, true common DC bus systems also conserve energy by eliminating many of the typical energy wasting system components.

Utilizing active front end (AFE) power sections to reduce system power factor and harmonics. Active front end power sections provide near-unity power factor and produce minimal harmonics. AFE's can also compensate for the effects of poor power quality issues.

Reducing mechanical losses with direct drives, certain power transmission components can waste significant energy.

Optimizing drive sizes and tuning through mechatronic practices and tools. Oversized drives will use more power and adversely affect the system power factor. Poorly tuned drive systems can be a common source of energy waste.

Retrofitting older DC drive systems with more efficient AC drive systems. AC Drive systems offer greater energy efficiency over older DC technology. Some AC drives can automatically reduce their magnetizing current under low load conditions

Utilizing energy efficient motors for across the line applications and AC drives in front of the motors in place of mechanical dampers and valves.

Evolution in Motion
Author: Omron
Posted: 12/02/2011
The Machine Automation Controller (MAC) Meets Market Needs More Effectively than Previous Controller Solutions

To paraphrase Albert Einstein, the opportunity for development is directly related to the potential for value. This is particularly relevant to technological development, where market forces establish need and value, and then science and engineering are applied to meet them.

Case in point: Look at the use of machine control hardware for automation. During the past 50 years there has been a powerful and dramatic development of controllers: Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Industrial PCs (IPC), and Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC).

The explosion of industrial applications continues to challenge the functionality of those controllers, fostering further innovation. The need to combine the capabilities of traditional process/discrete industrial control has led to adaptations or extensions of existing technology. The efforts to evolve resulted in underperforming machine automation due to limitations in architecture and a lack of cross-discipline expertise.

Today we see the emergence of a new controller type: a Machine Automation Controller (MAC). A MAC resolves the integration of control technologies without sacrificing performance. Only after painstaking development from the ground up--specifically for high-speed, multi-axis motion control, vision, and logic--has the MAC emerged. Let's revisit how this point was reached.

Debunking "Conventional Wisdom" in Actuator Selection and Deployment
Author: Bob Kral, Bimba Manufacturing Company
Posted: 11/15/2011
Understanding all the costs in pneumatic and electric actuators -- and recognizing their very different capabilities -- can save tens of thousands of dollars.

It's in the news. Everyone is talking about it. Pneumaitc or electric? Are you considering replacing a compressor and 200 pneumatic cylinders with electric actuators to save compressor costs? Thinking about building a new machine with pneumatics because 30 electric actuators cost a whopping $34,000?

You might be making the wrong decision and as a result wasting tens of thousands of dollars a year. This article provides an analysis of cost components for both estimations. Cost calculations are provided in the appendix for readers who wish to evaluate costs for their machines or facilities.

The Seven Types of Power Problems
Author: Joseph Seymour, Schneider Electric
Posted: 05/16/2011
Many of the mysteries of equipment failure, downtime, software and data corruption, are the results of a problematic supply of power. There is also a common problem with describing power problems in a standard way. This white paper will describe the most common types of power disturbances, what can cause them, what they can do to your critical equipment, and hot to safeguard your equipment, using the IEEE standards for describing power quality problems.

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