Motion control is a crucial component of equipment operation and plays a direct role in automation. Industrial users of assembly and material handling equipment have an increasingly long list of needs, ranging from application-specific equipment designs to smaller, lighter components. Below are three trends in motion control that are driving innovation and productivity improvements across industry.
Analog and digital twins
The shift towards “digitalizing everything” has spurred a major change in motion control: simulation. Machine development is a lengthy and complex process involving detailed drawings and design work, followed by prototyping and testing of the new machine. Naturally, the design phase cannot anticipate every unexpected event and minor problem that may arise – meaning more prototyping, and then more testing. Simulation is transforming the entire process for motion control device OEMs.
Simulation typically involves finite element modeling, which helps engineers test a wider range of variable choices, eliminate unexpected situations during the design phase, shorten time to market, and better understand the actual performance of each discrete component. The simulation process ultimately results in a working digital model of the final product, which can be studied in detail and safely, while observing the effects of adjusting gearbox and motor dimensions, and ultimately achieving an ideal balance between material cost, optimal performance, and machine footprint.
Simulation using "digital twins" is not only useful for designing and developing new products—engineers can also use simulations to observe the effects of new controller algorithms or equipment upgrades. It also makes it easier to test new features and ultimately deliver application-specific and niche functionalities to users.
▲ By simulating and optimizing the design of geared motors , the overall design time can be reduced by 75%, and the quality, manufacturing, and procurement teams can use a fully defined 3D model of the geared motor to analyze, build, and inspect it.
Using 3D printers as an example, this illustrates why application-specific design through simulation is so valuable. Depositing material layer by layer onto a workpiece is a process highly sensitive to machine vibrations. However, simulating machine movement during new product creation can frustrate engineers with quirks in the product design or printer, potentially compromising the quality or integrity of the final product. Engineers can determine the product design or choose different printer equipment even before a prototype is available.
Frameless motor
To improve equipment efficiency, performance, and throughput, equipment manufacturers and motor designers are increasingly focusing on frameless motors. Frameless motors offer many competitive advantages, including a more compact design, greater customization options, and greater flexibility. As manufacturing processes become more specialized, factories require more flexible, dedicated machines, and frameless motors power these machines and support specialized technologies.
We will see more and more frameless motors in equipment on manufacturing plant floors, especially in robotic arms and other dexterous machines that require fine-tuning a balance between weight and performance. Unlike other motors, frameless motors do not have a drive shaft. This means they are not as bulky as previous generation motor designs. Instead, OEMs ship them as separate stators and rotors, allowing for more flexible and direct integration into the mechanical structures of various machines.
Because frameless motors do not require couplings, drive shafts, or gearboxes, they also do not suffer from the same settling time and potential overshoot issues as enclosed motors. This type of motor works well with advanced programmable logic controllers (PLCs ) to control machine motion up to 96 axes. Frameless motors offer the flexibility to handle tasks of all processing capacities.
Ultimately, frameless motors unleash greater flexibility and creativity in machine design. Their designs can directly support their applications—unlike framed motors, which are typically compliant with NEMA and IEC standards and may not offer the flexibility and precision required by today's industries.
True predictive maintenance
Unplanned downtime is a killer of productivity and profitability. Over the past few decades, isolating the problem area when equipment fails has required seemingly endless diagnostic and troubleshooting work. Moreover, some components are not as easily accessible and diagnosable as others. The entire process is both expensive and time-consuming.
▲ Rexroth's adaptive system technology offers flexible vibration reduction and damping capabilities in motion control. This improves the throughput of machines affected by swaying, vibration, and rocking.
Predictive maintenance is a trend driven by digitalization and the shift towards the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT ). This means that manufacturers and other companies that rely on the uptime of heavy equipment can predict which machines are about to fail and then isolate and address them before these physical assets pose a risk to throughput, profits, and employee safety.
For example, the drive can provide real-time data on torque or voltage changes, which may indicate that the machine's lubricating oil is failing or that bearings need replacing. Thanks to this level of advanced warning, machine owners can schedule maintenance and repairs when the equipment is not to be used under any circumstances—far before a malfunction causes production stoppages or even shortens the machine's lifespan.
To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the strength and breakage points of critical machine components, such as servo systems , cables, and fittings. The remainder is made possible by network-connected temperature probes, voltmeters, and force sensors , which can be cost-effectively integrated into the structure of various machine components.
Mapping a complex motion control system and its drive units can take six months or more to fully understand what the ideal performance looks like during operation. After that, onboard sensors take over and provide useful, detailed performance data, making maintenance intervals proactive and truly predictive.
As with other trends, predictive maintenance is no longer a luxury. These trends are increasingly becoming a significant competitive advantage for companies that rely on heavy equipment and motion controllers. The adoption rate of these new technologies and innovations will only increase in the future.
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