Motion Control Moving Along

ARC Research says motion control will be a $7 billion industry by 2010 in its report, “General Motion Control Worldwide Outlook, Market Analysis & Forecast Through 2010.”

The ARC report says users are asking for solutions that provide seamless integration, reduce packaging size, and offer ease of installation. Other trends are safety integrated into the motion control system and the use of Ethernet-based networks tuned for motion control.

WAGO, the sponsor of this newsletter, makes Industrial Ethernet and Profinet products suitable for motion control, and is sponsoring free Industrial Ethernet seminars in May, September and November.

We see ARC’s predictions reflected in articles you’ll find in this newsletter under Feature Articles, where you will see articles and white papers on Ethernet control, safety and integration, plus articles on new sensors, diagnostics and motors. We found so many articles, we couldn’t list them all in this newsletter. You can find many more recent articles on the Motion Control Portal.

We also detect a sudden interest in Mechantronics, reflected by news about a new Mechantronics degree program at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, plus a Mechantronics Webcast and a free Free Mechatronics Development Kit, listed in Resources.

Application stories in this newsletter cover the gamut of different ways systems integrators, end users and machine builders have built motion control systems. You’ll find stories about everything from machine tool motion control to controlling the motion of synchrotron rings.

We have a plethora of New Products; again, there are too many to list in this newsletter, so we invite you to see the rest of them on the portal. Products for motion control include motors, drives, actuators, sensors, encoders and controllers, so there is a little bit of everything here and on our portal.

It seems as if the motion control world has suddenly accelerated on all its axes. We see plenty of activity, news, new products, applications and feature articles on motion control being published and released lately and, of course, we bring it all to you here in this newsletter and on the portal. If you need to keep up with the fast-moving world of motion control, subscribe to this newsletter or the RSS feed.

Enjoy the rest of this Motion Control update!

Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher

Pressure-Resistant Proxes: New Generation Proximity Switches For Hydraulic Applications
Sensors, April 2007
By: Peter Heimlicher, Contrinex and Tom Horstman, US Automation
As the hydraulics industry continues to advance, higher pressures are being used in more applications. When end-of-stroke signals are required, a switch located in the end cap is the most reliable sensing choice. The sensor industry has evolved to produce reliable end-of-stroke sensors that can operate in today's high-pressure environments, with safety margins approaching 40%.

Ethernet, High-Speed Bandwidth Lead Evolution of Motion Networks
Design News, Motion Networks Supplement, April 2007
Al Presher, Contributing Editor
Distributed operations using Ethernet, safety functionality and more sophisticated solutions that leverage the bandwidth of high-speed motion networks are the leading trends in the evolution of automation/motion networks.

Safe-motion choices
Control Engineering, March 2007
C.G. Masi
The motion control industry is going to see a flood of new standards for machine operator safety. The old way—point-to-point wired safety systems for automated machinery installations—is less than optimal, prone to failure, and costly to maintain. The new way—safety networks based on standard industrial networks integrated into machine control systems—is more efficient, and less prone to hazardous work-arounds.

Stepper Motion Evolution
Control Engineering, March 2007
Frank J. Bartos, P.E.
Inherent control simplicity, miniature motors and drives, and higher torque density of stepper systems add up to a viable alternative to servo motion for certain lower-power applications. It’s the only motion-control method able to run in open loop, without the need for position feedback. This makes stepper-motor-based systems simpler than servo motion systems, with the lower cost of step motors adding to the attraction. Stepper based motion systems can range up to 0.75 kW (1 hp) equivalent power, but most applications run at much lower output. A large number of manufacturers serve this market.

Cable goes Twist-Friendly
Machine Design, March 2007
Tom Collen, Northwire Inc.
Most cable is not designed for repeated bending, twisting, and movement. The problem is that repeated flexing can eventually cold harden conductors to the point of failure. Similarly, the friction generated between various internal components of a moving cable can generate enough heat to compromise the insulation and jacketing over time. The implications of these problems are obvious for maintenance and machinery uptime.

Motion control advancements drive flexibility, performance
Plant Engineering, March 2007
By Michael Perlman, Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc
By taking advantage of new motion control technologies, plant engineers are reaping a number of rewards including decreased downtime, gains in operational flexibility and enhanced productivity and performance. However, those who ignore new motion control options run the risk of falling behind in increasingly competitive international markets.

Diamond is in motion
Process and Control Today, April 2007
By John Houston, Editor
The Diamond Light Source synchrotron ring in Oxfordshire, UK, has seven beamlines functional and more are on the way at this globally important research facility. Supplying the motion control for the project has been a challenge for Delta Tau, which has now installed over 600 axes of motion at the project.

Automated Metal Dome Placement Machine
Design News, Motion Networks Supplement, April 2007
Terry Persun, Contributing Writer
Snaptron of Windsor, CO, tackled the problem of tactile metal dome placement in production situations. Snaptron designed a machine that would place domes in pockets, primarily for membrane applications, using an upgraded motion system for faster, more efficient operation.

Smart drives make cable winder whirl
Machine Design, February 2007
Two Baldor H2 smart drives replaced the original ac drives and PLC control that wound custom cables of different diameters onto large drums at Centrilift Cable, Claremore, Okla. Electronic gearing in the H2 drives lets both motors operate as if connected with mechanical gears to assure the cable winds properly onto the drum. The two smart drives let Centrilift eliminate the PLC and complicated manual programming steps. The new setup also got rid of many signal wires for a cleaner installation with more reliable operation. The change improved productivity more than 25%.

Variable-speed drives keep Rain Forest Temperate
Behind the scenes, a lot of mechanical engineering goes into creating and maintaining a tropical rainforest near Lake Erie, just 40 miles from the Canadian border. It is a feat accomplished by Cleveland (Ohio) Metroparks, a recreational authority that provides an “emerald necklace” of woodlands, golf courses, hiking trails and other attractions surrounding this Midwestern city -- known as much for its sports teams as its world-class orchestra and Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Without state-of-the-art HVAC technology, it is doubtful this unique tropical habitat -- located within the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo complex -- could exist; and it continues to benefit from equipment improvements, such as advanced motor and drive design.

AutomationDirect introduces tutorial site
The video tutorial and training site, learn.automationdirect.com, is divided into product categories. It helps answer questions on a range of automation topics such as Selecting a PLC, Building a Combination Manual Motor Starter, HMI and PLC software features, the basics of sensors, motors and motion control, and more. Typically, the presentations are divided into several 1-30 minute segments.

AMT announces training class for servo driven spot welding guns  
The class, offered at the customer's site by Applied Manufacturing Technologies, focuses on servo driven spot welding guns for robotic applications. The classes will consist of servo gun training for either Fanuc RJ3iB robots or ABB IRC5 robots.

Understanding Motion Control Systems - AIT Training Course MCS110
3-Day Course - This practical course introduces engineering concepts of motors and drives that can be easily understood by both engineers and technicians unfamiliar with the technology and not accustomed to complex theory and mathematics.

KUKA provides robots to Lawrence Technological Univ  -  04/16/07
KUKA will provide robots for the master of science in Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSMSE) degree program at Lawrence Technological University of Southfield, Michigan, the first program of its kind in the United States.

PLCopen forms Security working group for control systems  -  04/12/07
The goal is to define a test bed and a set of routines, implementing a set of software tools and scripts to perform these test, and making this available to the public in order to be able prove a level of networking security within a broad set of control systems.

ABB names Jim Perkins Managing Director of Drives  -  03/29/07
Perkins will be responsible for leading, directing and managing LV & MV Drives businesses. Perkins will be based in the ABB facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin.

Bosch Rexroth names Milt Coleman Product Marketing Manager  -  03/27/07
Coleman will be responsible for planning, directing and implementing activities in the Product Management, Application Engineering and Customer Service Groups for Bosch Rexroth-Linear Motion and Assembly Technologies Group.

Bosch Rexroth sales hit $6.2 billion  -  03/22/07
Bosch Rexroth AG increased sales in 2006 by 7.1 percent to approximately $6.2 billion (4.9 billion Euros). Sales grew 16 percent in Middle and Eastern Europe and 14 percent in Asia, including 33 percent growth in China. Sales in North and South America declined slightly in a difficult economic environment.

B&R sales reach €235 million  -  03/22/07
Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik GmbH (B&R) in Eggelsberg achieved total sales of € 235 million in 2006 compared to € 190 million reached in the previous year. This reflects an increase of over 23%.

Imprinting machine uses Baumüller's servo direct drives  -  04/12/07
Baumüller's servo axes are used in the EDM 200 developed by Sondermaschinen Oschersleben GmbH (SMO). With a straight width of just two meters, this machine can complete small and rapid print jobs with high cost-efficiency.

Bosch Rexroth hydraulics to turn world’s largest wheel  -  04/02/07
Bosch Rexroth will supply hydraulic drives for the 678-foot high Great Beijing Wheel at the 2008 Olympic Games. Bosch will provide project engineering, shipment and installation of the complete hydraulic drive and control systems, as well as the automation for the passenger boarding stations.

Livingston & Haven and ADI develop KD-Rig for NASCAR  -  03/01/07
KD-Rig advanced diagnostic testing system provides NASCAR teams with detailed data about the chassis and suspension in a variety of simulation scenarios. It provides precise suspension motion while measuring bump steer, camber change and wheel loads. The KD-Rig also easily allows interference checking throughout the travel range.

Rockwell Automation sells drives to two Swedish Mining companies  -  02/26/07
Rockwell Automation sold two medium voltage drive turn-key solutions to zinc and iron ore mining operations in the Swedish mining industry, valued at 4 million Euros.

ABB wins $32-million contract in South Africa  -  02/05/07
ABB will supply all the electrical, control and fieldbus communication equipment for the project, including the incoming 132KV electrical substation, medium-voltage switchgear and protection devices, low-voltage motor control centers, variable-speed drives, low- and medium-voltage motors, sectional drives and motors for the new pulp dryer, Industrial IT Extended Automation System 800xA for control and integration, as well as the Information Management System.

Unison to supply servo-driven tube bending machinery for aircraft carriers  -  01/29/07
Unison has won an order worth over $2.5 million to supply tube-bending machinery to Northrop Grumman Newport News for aircraft carrier production. The order is for three of Unison's Breeze machines, to bend tubes of up to six inches in diameter, plus tooling and spares. Delivery will start in April 2007.

Automated Manufacturing Exposition & Conference
Apr 24-26, 2007, Georgia World Congress Center
AM Expo is the Southeast's only event for executives and their teams responsible for advanced manufacturing and productivity solutions. These manufacturing professionals come together for the knowledge and products that will enable them to innovate, profit and compete in a highly competitive global market.

Innovation Fair to be held on April 24, 2007
Livingston & Haven will host the annual Innovation Fair on April 24, 2007 at the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The show will take place from 8:30 am until 3:30 pm with a free lunch provided to all attendees at 11:30.

35th ANNUAL PTRA CONFERENCE
April 29-May 2, 2007, Captiva Island, FL
Annual meeting of the The Power-Motion Technology Representatives Association.

SMMA Spring Management Conference
May 9-11, 2007, San Diego
The Small Motor and Motion Association will hold its Sales and Marketing for Motors & Drives conference at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, CA.

M2M Forum 2007 to be held in Italy May 22-23
The machine-to-machine communications event takes place in Milan, Italy on May 22-23. Topics include Machine to machine technologies; Sensor applications; Embedded, HMI & displays; and Open source & real time OS.

ASi-Tech 2007 to be held in UK May 22
Featuring a full day of education, information and technical updates on AS-Interface, ASi-tech 2007 will be held at the Old Trafford Football Club Stadium, Manchester, UK.