Feature

Specifying a servo motion system: The machine designer perspective

For machines with a motion cycle that’s crucial to optimising productivity and process quality, servo motors are typically required for their speed and accuracy. However, specifying a servo-based system needs a holistic consideration of the machine and motion control requirements as a whole. Trio Motion Technology’s Ed Novak summarises the approach.

04/12/2023 15:22:05

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Recently, I was contacted to specify a servo-based motion control system for a large, high-axis-count machine. This customer provides machine solutions for the forging, material shaping and industrial manufacturing industries.
The specific machine handles, sorts, bundles, and prepares steel rebar reinforcement used in concrete structures. Their particular processing centre needed 66 servo axes working in precise coordination, to provide smooth and
accurate rebar positioning.

Specifying a large system like this, we approach it from a top-down focus, starting with the overall outcome that the machine builder wants to achieve. Usually, this objective is
a combination of increasing throughput, relating to the machine’s speed, matched with the repeatable quality of the process (based on the precision the machine can achieve).

Combining these general requirements informs
an approximate design of the machine’s architecture, including the overall control needs, spanning from the user interface down to the specification of the servo motors and drives.

Read the full article in DPA's December issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.