More movement on the market

April 2024 Motion Control & Drives

If you want to move something, you have to be able to control the movement. When positioning in the nanometre range everything matters and requires high performance motion control. Six years ago, Aerotech therefore set itself the goal of revolutionising the market for precision motion and machine control systems. The Automation1 motion control platform, which was developed in-house and has been available since 2019, now offers far more capability than many users expect from a motion control system.

Nine functions you wouldn’t expect from a motion controller

• Control positioning systems and connected components such as servo and stepper motors, galvo scan heads, piezoelectric actuators and various other devices on one platform.

• Setup Assistant for the homing configuration of gantries.

• Camera module to display feed from a vision system that can be used to monitor the automation and production process in addition to motion control.

• Intuitive configuration wizard for complete machine setup and rapid implementation of projects.

• EasyTune servo tuning for optimising the servo loop like a control engineer would with access to third-party devices.

• HyperWire bus for drive connection, currently the most powerful communication bus in the motion control industry.

• MachineApps HMI development tool for customising user interfaces for drive systems and allowing support for custom module development for ultimate flexibility.

• EtherCAT compatibility for simple and seamless integration of PLC-based systems.

• Python API and Driver for LabVIEW that enable direct access to the motion control platform.

Further reading:

New motion platform for tube laser processing
Motion Control & Drives
Aerotech has announced the LaserTurn280, a motion platform for laser machining of cylindrical medical device components, offering calibrated accuracy of plus or minus 1 micrometre and designed for integration into high-volume production lines.

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Functional safety in modern factory automation
Motion Control & Drives
Functional safety in modern factory automation allows machines to operate at controlled speeds or hold axes at standstill rather than shutting down entirely. Kollmorgen’s Safe Motion monitor software now supports additional safety-rated encoder protocols, extending these capabilities to precision and linear motion applications.

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Sinamics G210 versatile drive for continuous motion applications
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens has expanded its drive portfolio with the Sinamics G210, a versatile converter for continuous motion applications that combines motor openness with modular hardware, software options and flexible communication on a scalable OEM platform.

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Trends and outlook for actuators in humanoid motion
Motion Control & Drives
The humanoid robotics industry is shifting from prototype development to early commercial adoption, with electric actuators dominating current designs and materials innovation set to define next-generation hardware. IDTechEx forecasts a 47% compound annual growth rate for humanoid unit sales over the next decade.

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Specialist girder frame trailer solves challenging transformer delivery
Motion Control & Drives
Mammoet used its high-capacity girder frame trailer to transport an oversized Hitachi Energy transformer 130?km by road from Ludvika to Köping Port in Sweden, then completed a RoRo transfer to a heavy-lift vessel bound for China.

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SEW-EURODRIVE to exhibit energy-efficient automation at Propak Cape
SEW-EURODRIVE Motion Control & Drives
SEW-EURODRIVE will showcase its MOVI-C modular automation portfolio at Propak Cape, demonstrating how integrated drive and automation technologies can help processing and packaging companies reduce energy consumption and improve production consistency.

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XPlanar aids innovation in laser processing
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives
Aalborg University is among the first in the world to test Beckhoff’s XPlanar intelligent transport system in advanced laser processes, achieving micrometer-precise workpiece positioning and dramatically shorter lead times compared with traditional tool-based manufacturing.

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Sinamics G210X for advanced pump, fan and compressor applications
Siemens South Africa Motion Control & Drives
Siemens has introduced the Sinamics G210X, a frequency converter for pump, fan and compressor applications combining easy engineering, IP55 protection and integrated S2 system redundancy for reliable operation in demanding infrastructure environments.

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Pittsburgh’s Commercial Street Bridge replaced in under 24 hours
Motion Control & Drives
Mammoet used specialist skidding equipment to slide a 10?000 ton replacement bridge into position on Pittsburgh’s Commercial Street in a single day shift, cutting what would have been four years of traffic disruption to just 17 days of closure.

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Managing inertia, loads and speed in modern linear motion systems
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG Motion Control & Drives
BMG, through its partnership with Rollon, supplies advanced linear motion systems for high-load, high-speed robotics and automation applications. Specialist guidance on inertia, mechanical stress and cantilevered loading helps engineers select the right solution for demanding environments.

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