Mclennan bows to customer demand for 'plug-and-run'
For a long time now, Mclennan has supplied Eurocard based stepper and
servo drives and controllers to specialist machine builders and
scientific research establishments, where systems integration expertise
is, on the whole, not difficult to come by. While this business continues
to flourish, the company's initiatives in other market sectors - among
more general machine builders and OEMs - has highlighted a growing demand
that such components be more easy to integrate into machine automation
schemes. With tight time-to-market constraints, many machine builders are
now seeking 'plug-and-run' capability in their motion systems - and
Mclennan has not been slow in recognising this trend.
The company has just launched its SM9749 single-axis stepper motor
controller with integrated drive stage, which, thanks to modern power
electronic devices, delivers 3.5A per phase from a 3U high by one third
rack width package. The key feature of the new product, however, is its
plug-and-run capability, which greatly reduces installation time for
OEMs. All the connections are at the back of the rack-mounted enclosure
and include input sockets for datum/limit sensors, encoder and manual
jog, motor output and dual RS232/485 serial interfaces for PC control. In
addition, the SM9749 has a comprehensive I/O port providing eight digital
inputs, eight digital outputs and two analogue outputs for PLC
interfacing. Sockets and cable terminations are all colour-coded, to
ensure foolproof interconnection.
The unit is very easily programmed using Mclennan's established coded
command set. Programs are compiled in a logical sequence, line by line,
to effect precise relative or absolute positioning and positioning
commands dependent on limit switch inputs, time delays or even analogue
inputs such as temperature. Other programming features allow acceleration
and deceleration rates to be set for smooth starts and stops.