Drives News

Safe motion is making sure that what the motion control system thinks it is doing is actually what it is doing. For a start, redundancy must be there — a key function of any safety system is making sure that no single point of failure can compromise the safety operation. Incorporate redundancy and detection in motion control.

Pitched as an alternative to belt and spindle driven linear motion control systems, the Copley ServoTube module connects easily. One suggestion is to use several for multi-axis systems. A built-in position sensor provides an accuracy of 350 microns and 12 micron repeatability. Applications include packaging, assembly, and sorting.

If DC motors and drives are already used in a machine installation, continuing with DC instead of switching to AC technology makes sense when it comes to retrofits. DC investment represents a lower capital expenditure. The latest drive technology includes Ethernet connection, making maintenance by remote access easier.

Water-cooled inverters are used for larger drive power sizes where air cooling is insufficient. However, there is a need for water cooling at smaller sizes, as in this new Sinamics S120. The reason isn't due to thermodynamics, but because the atmosphere is full of dust that would damage the electronics.

PID (proportional — integral — derivative) control is widely used in industry, and much has been written about the mathematical theory behind it. This author, Dr. Ernst Dummermuth, focuses on the application of PID in the motion controls area. He tells how to implement actual applications in position and velocity control loops.

There's no need to have an external Ethernet controller in motion/machine control systems any more with this plug-in module. It can be used as a standalone intelligent automation solution, as a distributed element of a larger network, or a complete multi-axis motion control system that operates autonomously.

This motion control card is intended for machines builders wanting to assemble simpler distributed control systems. It eliminates the need for an expensive host computer or I/O modules. It has enough processing power to implement complex motion algorithms and can communicate and synchronize across the system.

The Compax3 servo drive family covers a wide range from single axis units to high-power servo drives for multi-axis applications. Now it offers a communications option: EtherCAT. This provides the highest performance data throughput of any real-time Ethernet fieldbus, and allows I/O points to be connected to the drive.

At some point in their career, most engineers will have to speak before an audience. It could be an internal, cross-functional team, it might be an interview with the trade press, or it could even be at an industry conference. For the uninitiated, this can be a challenging experience. Paul Gruhn offers eight practical tips (including don't maintain eye contact with the wall) that any novice or seasoned speaker can understand and put to good use.

The race to space has been great. It's produced a multitude of technologies and products that we use here on Earth. But, it is getting extremely crowded in the satellite orbits, and there's a good chance we'll have more of them crashing into each other and then falling on us. We need some sort of astral air control. Watch the video animation of the debris that spreads when two satellites collide.

$2-a-Gallon Gas? Not For Long

The falling oil prices have been deceptive. OPEC is working overtime to create a new oil shortage. If the U.S. fails to develop new sources, can we do anything but stand aside and watch prices go up?