Ease
of Use Takes Center Stage- Easy to use. It’s the number one priority of motion
control customers and the number one mandate for motion control suppliers. And
by necessity, ease of use must provide solutions to the growing set of
complexities that motion control applications require. That is the heart of the
problem. New solutions must not only simplify system architectures, speed
software development, and enable new factory connectivity, but also deal with
improving motion performance, drive and motor configuration, installation,
maintenance, diagnostics, and support.
When
Less can be More-It isn’t unusual to see big, fat cables and connectors
occupying valuable real estate in the vast spaces of an automated factory. One
way some companies are combating the maze is by turning to distributed control
as the technology of choice when it comes to motion control. Also known as
decentralized motion control, distributed control systems places control at or
near the actual location of the motor installation, rather than in a centralized
control cabinet. All of the control systems linked to the motor, including the
disconnect switches, motor brake control, and bus communications, are installed
on or near the motor rather than in a central cabinet. Eliminated are the long
rows of control cabinets with complex wiring, expansive space requirements and
long distances between control cabinet and motors.
Motion
Control Standards Evolve-Is it too many standards or not enough? That is the
question. Whether or not you include de facto industry standards and
communication standards as part of motion control will determine the answer.
Standards and application guidance can come from numerous sources. While
communication methods have their place in motion control, they’re just as vital
in other sectors of automation and control. More at the core of motion control
are evolving standards based on overall system architectures—whether centralized
or distributed. Lately, distributed architecture has drawn most attention, due
to advances in digital technology that allow local embedding of intelligence and
other benefits.
Open
for Business- Proprietary machine controls, those monster-sized black box
hardware-software packages that come standard on most machine tools, have one
major drawback: they don’t play well with others, making it difficult to mix and
match them with other systems on the shop floor. In a quest for more flexible
machine controls, some machine tool builders and their customers are turning to
open systems like OpenCNC from MDSI. Unlike proprietary control systems, OpenCNC
runs on a standard PC, doesn’t require proprietary hardware or a motion control
card, and allows ready access to the machine’s data.
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