Motion Control Tips

Automation • Motion Control • Power Transmission

Drives and controls for robotics: See them at the 2019 Robotics Summit

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In a couple weeks, the 2019 Robotics Summit (focused on the design, development, manufacture, and delivery of commercial robotics) will take place in Boston. It will be co-located with the DeviceTalks event at the Seaport World Trade Center. One display will be an array of precision processing and powering technologies for robotics.

Elmo Motion Control • Booth #118 — This is a top visit if you’re interested in drives and controls for on-robot (distributed) control. We recently touched on some multi-axis solutions for these setups in a visit at Automate:

In fact, you will get to see Brian Mason (who gives the booth tour in the above video) on Wednesday, June 5th at 2:00 at the Robotics Summit, when he will present on motion control in robots. You’ll also get to ask him questions about miniature network-based servo drives and novel ways to power and control robot joints for less cabling.

Infranor • Booth #139 — Look for servo drives and servomotors here, and give us a shoutout on LinkedIn if you end up having a conversation with this company about new robotics applications for semiconductor, packaging, or aerospace industries (and are at liberty to divulge a vague detail or two).

Performance Motion Devices • Booth #145 — Little-known fact about PMD … this company is well-versed in sharing motion fundamentals with the industry. So if your primary engineering focus is in fact not motion control and you attend the Summit, say hello to the team here to get answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask but felt were elementary. Performance Motion Devices sells multi-axis motion products (and ICs, digital drives, and amplifiers, and machine boards) and provides technical support on these technologies.

PI • Booth #151 — Physik Instrumente makes regular appearances in our editorial for its precision subsystems. Piezomotors feature large in a lot of miniature designs — see what we did there? — although this company integrates a whole host of other actuator and motor types as well as various kinematics iterations. Check out this FAQ for more on the kinematic possibilities for some robotics: What’s the difference between serial kinematics and parallel kinematics in multi-axis motion design?

This is a piezo motor from Physik Instrumente (PI) that moves to 200 mm/sec. It has an integrated driver.

Kollmorgen • Booth #202 — Catch up on the features and case studies we’ve done (listed below) on how to size and apply servomotors, frameless motors, and stepper motors to robotics and other applications. Then go see the engineers from Kollmorgen at the Summit to see what new robotics applications they observe on the horizon for these technologies — especially for collaborative robots, industrial articulated robots, and medical robots … and particularly those employing frameless motors (a huge trend in the industry) as well as harmonic gearing for high torque density and smaller and faster robots.

Trends in electric motors Part II — Scott Evans sets record straight on motion design

Difference between continuous ratings and holding continuous loads (an ac servo-motor terminology primer)

Thermal time constants and managing PMAC servo motor overloads

Frameless motors and gearmotors for robot design at XPONENTIAL 2019

motors

JF Shaw • Booth #212 — You’d be hard pressed to think of a component used in automaton and robotics that this company doesn’t supply, as they include sensors, connectivity equipment, motors, and drives; mechanical offerings relevant to the application of robots include spur gears, industrial belts, pulleys, and couplings … as well as whole assemblies and end-of-arm tooling including electrical and pneumatic grippers. We editors at motioncontroltips.com are just learning of the capabilities from this supplier ourselves, so stay tuned in coming months to get more on its engineers’ expertise in the design and integration of various industrial applications.

Using mechanical torque limiters to protect servo-driven machinery

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Servomotor-driven machinery abounds in today’s automated applications. These designs typically require high speeds for top throughput, dynamic operation for nimble positioning, and (in many cases) quick reversals for indexing. So it’s key to have some means to:

Protect the servomotor from damage by sudden load changes, over-torque conditions, or shock due to machine issues. The latter can include errors in programming, mechanical or feedback malfunctions, faulty braking, and machine-operator mistakes.

Protect the power-transmission assembly (including gearing and couplings as well as ballscrew, belt, or other drive components) from the behavior of its own inertia, motor-rotor inertia, and (reflected) load inertia — and even leverage system inertia — in atypical situations.

That’s because the processes that servo-driven machinery execute usually involve either expensive workpieces or high volumes … mission-critical operations with equipment that is itself costly. Such processes are intolerant of unexpected downtime from shock and jam-induced failures of subcomponents.

Overload protection includes often-complementary electronic and mechanical means.

Consider how servosystems can include electronic fusing, current limiting, and other modes of electronic overload protection to address crashes and sudden axis stops. Such protection uses controls (such as PLCs or servo drives) and feedback to track the axis state — monitoring and controlling motor-winding temperatures, current and voltage, as well as output force or torque and position in some cases.

Where applicable, these modes of electronic overload protection also complement the use of powerful low-inertia servomotors to boost overall performance and efficiency. Then when there are issues with any monitored parameters (especially those that indicate total axis jams) motion controls trigger preset corrections with motor-drive shutdowns, brake engagement, or other commands to trigger a motor-based response.

But one limitation of electronic torque limiting is that it’s not always quick enough to prevent machine or workpiece (or process) damage. That’s especially true for addressing inertial effects on dynamic motion axes; the masses of the mechanical components exert behavior that electronic corrections generally don’t resolve. In other words, the reliance of electronically programmed torque limiting on motor operation to correct problems leaves no immediate mode of addressing the action of components’ rotating masses (inertia) downstream.

In contrast, mechanical torque limiters provide near-instantaneous response (breaking free in just 1 msec in some cases) to issues. When installed at the right location in the drivetrain, these disconnect system inertia from the locked portion of the axis and let the drivetrain coast to a stop. That helps prevent damage in the first dozen or so milliseconds of machine-axis crashes or over-torqued conditions, when the most damage typically occurs.

Torque-limiter selection requires calculation of torques to be experienced by the axis on which the limiter will operate — from the axis end back to the servomotor. Electronic protection sometimes fails to protect mechanical components in between. Shown here are Series T ball and detent torque limiters from DieQua Corp. Their low inertia makes them suitable for servomotor-driven designs (and those incorporating ballscrews) needing quick acceleration.

Torque limiters used this way are also called torque-overload devices, safety couplings, overload clutches, and slip clutches. Note: Though this may be just a matter of semantics, torque limiters are technically not clutches because they are not built for continuous slipping. Related (though also nonequivalent) technologies are mechanical overrunning clutches that use wrap-spring, roller ramp, ratcheting, and cam action for one-way engagement.

Servo-system inertia in context of torque limiters

Recall that according to Newton’s second law for rotating systems, applying torque τ (in N∙m) to a mass induces angular velocity ω in rad/sec — with acceleration inversely proportional to the moment of inertia J (in kg∙m2) of that mass. Power P =  τ ω = τ 2π∙n — with 1 rad = 360° ÷ 2π∙n and n = revolutions per sec. Also:

Where t = Time to accelerate or decelerate (sec) so that stopping time and torque τ are inversely proportional.

Often, the torque τ of a sudden jam or braking (inducing an axis stop within just a few milliseconds) is quite high … to 100,000 N∙m/sec is not atypical … and in fact, overload via reflected inertia (from the mass of all the load and power-transmission components on the axis) can easily exceed the servomotor’s peak-torque rating.

Though machine axes can be built with torque ratings that allow for some momentary exceedances, a torque limiter in such a design can disengage at torques dangerously higher than continuous motor torque. These slip during shock loading of significant inertia-induced torque and not during startup or otherwise normal operation. Or the torque limiter (with the help of a speed sensor) can disengage the axis at some torque below peak motor torque and concurrently trigger a motor shutdown. When paired with electronic overload protection and installed where jams may occur (typically at the furthest reaches of axis actuation) still other mechanical torque limiters include a ring or other subcomponent to allow the mounting of proximity switches that in turn communicate overload conditions to a controller for electronic follow-up remediation.

Where axis cycle rates are aggressive for the application’s load inertia, the torque limiter may need to have expanded range and capacity. That’s certainly true where torque limiters protect against damaging levels of shock loading but allow system inertia to temporarily increase torque and power the axis through certain conditions, if that’s part of the design.

As mentioned, some servomotors are specifically engineered to have low (rotor) inertia; these often find use in high-performance applications having high inertia ratios of (reflected) load inertia to motor inertia — breaking the somewhat arbitrary rule of thumb that this ratio not exceed 5 to 10:1 or so. Search motioncontroltips.com for “servomotor inertia ratio” for more information on this. Also read the FAQ: Why does servomotor inertia matter?

Such motors exhibit quick deceleration (to stop from top speed in 20 msec, for example) but the inclusion of mechanical torque limiters is often required for wholly safe execution of dynamic tasks.

Torque-limiter variations for adding to servomotor-driven systems

Torque limiters are either releasable or continuously engaged. Releasable designs include ball-detent torque limiters (which are particularly common in servomotor applications), shear-pin limiters, permanent-magnet and loaded pawl-spring torque limiters, and sprag-engagement torque limiters.

Slipping torque limiters requiring no reset upon load correction include magnetic-hysteresis and magnetic-particle torque limiters as well as friction-disc torque limiters. During a machine-axis jam, these slip just enough to absorb inertia shock load and (as mentioned) trigger controls to let the motor stop.

When specifying torque limiters, look for availability of torque-specific models or those with some means of adjustment; backlash-free operation; and quantification of accuracy as a percent — ±4% of the trip torque, for example. Limiters billed as precision-tripping models will not exhibit lost motion (play). Torque limiters that integrate couplings also include misalignment-compensation values in degrees.

Available May 2019: Trinamic six-channel stepper-motor controller module for improved performance

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TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG now sells the TMCM-6214, a highly integrated module capable of driving up to six two-phase stepper motors, drawing up to 1.9A RMS each at supply voltages of up to +24 V. Thanks to its three integrated encoder inputs for incremental A/B/N encoders, it can support high-precision position feedback for three of its six motors, making it suitable for multi-axis applications in laboratory and factory automation, life science, robotics, test and measurement, and applications handling precious goods and liquids.

This is Trinamic’s TMCM-6214. Featuring SixPoint ramping profiles and multiple encoder inputs, the TMCM-6214 6-axis motor controller/driver board for two-phase stepper motors simplifies the design of robots, industrial automation, and other advanced multi-axis motion control systems.

“By monitoring the motor and relaying feedback back to the operator, the customers can closely track performance of their applications. Making it easy for customers to use these features allows them to implement a wide variety of applications. The controller’s position feedback capabilities, for example, can be used to implement predictive maintenance functions, which can dramatically reduce equipment downtime while increasing its overall lifespan,” states Michael Rand, Founder and CEO of Trinamic.

The TMCM-6214’s advanced features allow engineers to add an extra layer of reliability to their applications, while ensuring the best performance possible throughout its extended life span. The controller also incorporates Trinamic’s industry-exclusive DcStep function that enables the stepper motor to mimic the characteristics of a dc motor by delivering higher torque at lower speeds. Similarly, Trinamic’s unique SixPoint ramping profiles allow developers to create complex acceleration/deceleration profiles that are precisely tailored to their application’s requirements.

To increase ease of integration, the TMCM-6214 is available in two versions. The first version supports Trinamic’s TMCL motion control command language.

Note that TMCL (the Trinamic Motion Control Language) is a programming language dedicated to motion control applications. TMCL includes commands for moving one or more motor axes at certain velocities or to certain positions, and for setting all relevant motion controller parameters. TMCL also provides access to additional general-purpose digital and analog inputs and outputs. TMCL is available on most Trinamic modules with an integrated motion controller.

Full remote control of the device with feedback is possible and the module’s TMCL firmware can be updated via any of the serial interfaces. As an alternative to the TMCL version, the TMCM-6214 also comes with firmware that supports the industry standard CANopen communication protocol.

Recall that CANopen is a communication protocol and device profile specification for embedded systems used in automation. regarding the OSI model, CANopen implements the layers above and including the network layer. The CANopen standard consists of an addressing scheme, several small communication protocols, and an application layer defined by a device profile.

The module supports CAN, RS485, RS232 and USB interfaces for communications.  Both versions of the controller module come with six general purpose digital inputs and two analog inputs. The modules also have eight protected general purpose outputs that can be used for diagnostics. An integrated power supply switch is available together along with two hardware torque off inputs. The controllers’ powerful, integrated processor helps minimize communication traffic by performing all time-critical operations, such as ramp calculation, on-board without the assistance of an external host.

Both versions of the TMCM-6214 will be available through Trinamic’s normal distribution channels at the end of May.

Features and benefits:

  • Six-axis controller/driver for two-phase bipolar stepper motors
  • Linear and SixPoint ramps
  • +9V to 30V DC supply voltage
  • Up to 1.9A RMS motor current
  • RS485, CAN, RS232 & USB interfaces
  • 3x A/B/N encoder inputs
  • Multi-purpose inputs and outputs (protected)
  • Hardware torque off with integrated power switch for the driver supply
  • On-board voltage regulators (+5V and +3V3) for supply of all on-board digital circuits.

TRINAMIC Motion Control develops the world’s most sophisticated technology for motion and motor control applications, making it as easy as 1-2-3. the state-of-the-art ICs, modules, and mechatronic systems enable today’s software engineers to quickly and reliably develop highly precise drives that work efficiently, smoothly, and quietly. Trinamic is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany with a research center in Tallinn, Estonia, and Sales Engineers in both Chicago, IL, USA and Suzhou, China.

For more information, visit this TMCM-6214 product page on trinamic.com. Also download the data sheet (as a PDF) listing the specifications of the motor controller/driver board.

Beckhoff expands compact industrial PC line with C6032

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To boost connectivity options in ultra-compact PC Control hardware, Beckhoff Automation has introduced the new C6032 Industrial PC (IPC). With dimensions of only 129 x 133 x 104 mm, the C6032 IPC enhances the scalability of the PC-based controller portfolio from Beckhoff. A high-performance device in a modular design, the C6032 adds two slots for PCIe Compact modules to the C6030 single-board IPC, which is comparable regarding computing power, to accommodate modular interfaces and functional extensions. With the use of compact PCIe modules, the C6032 can be optimally adapted to the unique requirements of individual applications.

Equipped with powerful Intel Core i processors of the 6th and 7th generation — up to the Core i7 with four 3.6 GHz cores — the C6032 is suitable to support extensive multi-axis motion control, complex HMI applications, extremely short cycle times and handling of large data volumes.

The compact motherboard and the die-cast zinc and robust aluminum housing were newly developed according to the high standards Beckhoff is known for – such as industrial-grade assembly, Made in Germany quality, high reliability and a premium look and feel. Other features include the exceptionally compact design typical of the ultra-compact C60xx IPC series and the flexible installation options with vertical or horizontal mounting at the rear of the enclosure – and a totally free orientation of the connection area.

High flexibility through PCIe modules

The C6032 features two PCIe compact module slots that enable flexible expansion of the connection area on the front of the device. The first available PCIe modules are the following:

  • 2 x Gbit Ethernet
  • 2 x USB 3.0
  • 2 x RS232
  • 1 x CP-Link 4 (for connection to Beckhoff industrial displays)

The use of an extremely durable, speed-monitored and controlled fan makes the C6032 suitable for an operating temperature range of up to 55° Celsius. Available options include Windows 7 or Windows 10 operating systems as well as a second M.2 SSD in RAID configuration. The C6032 also offers storage capacity of 40 GB M.2 SSD, 3D flash even in the basic configuration.

A device generation designed for universal use

The Microsoft Azure -certified devices in the ultra-compact C60xx IPC series are suitable to meet current requirements in machine building, such as increasing modularity, reduced space requirements in control cabinets and increased computing power at an affordable price point. Designed exactly with all these requirements in mind, the new device generation is suitable for use in a broad range of application scenarios, including distributed architectures and current Internet of Things (IoT) or Industrie 4.0 concepts. The exact computing power is flexibly scalable to suit nearly all medium to high-end machine performance levels:

  • C6015 and C6017 for medium performance requirements with Intel Atom CPUs (up to four cores)
  • C6030 and C6032 as high-end devices with Core i processors with up to 3.9 GHz per core (for dual core processors)

What’s the difference between PL and SIL machine safety standards?

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Machine safety is governed by two standards: EN/ISO 13849-1 and EN/IEC 62061. Both standards are harmonized to the EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which defines the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR) for machinery. Although their methods for performing risk assessment are different, both standards — EN ISO 13849-1 and EN 62061 — when correctly applied, achieve the same result.

The EU Machinery Directive requires that machine manufacturers eliminate or minimize hazards as much as reasonable, apply necessary protective measures against hazards that cannot be eliminated, and inform users of the risks that remain and requirements for training or personal protective equipment. Although this directive is specific to the European Union (EU), it is recognized and followed in other regions around the world, to better facilitate equipment shipments outside the EU.

The EN/ISO 13849-1 machine safety standard uses a qualitative risk graph, or flow chart, to assign a performance level (PL), based on three criteria:

  • severity of injury
  • frequency and/or exposure time to the hazard
  • possibility of avoiding the hazard or limiting the harm

The performance level (PL) is designated by an alphabetic character, a thru e, with PLe being the highest risk level.

machine safety standards

EN/ISO 13849-1 assigns a performance level (PL) rating from a to e, with PLe being the highest risk.
Image credit: TUV

Once the performance level has been determined, the architecture that facilitates the defined performance level is classified into one of six categories (“B” and 1 thru 5, with B being the least safe and 5 being the most safe). The architecture category is determined by combining the performance level (PL) with quantitative measures of diagnostic coverage (DC) and mean time to dangerous failure (MTTFd).

functional safety

This chart shows the relationship between Category, Diagnostic Coverage, and Mean Time to Dangerous Failure for PL levels under EN/ISO 13849-1. Note also the correlation with probability of dangerous failure per hour (PFHd) rates.
Image credit: ABB

The EN/IEC 62061 machine safety standard (often written as just EN 62061) assigns a safety integrity level (SIL) to each function based on the severity of the potential harm (Se) and the probability of the harm occurring.

The severity of potential harm is given a score from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most severe. The probability of harm occurring is broken down into three parameters:

  • frequency and duration of exposure (Fr)
  • probability of an event occurring (Pr)
  • probability of avoiding or limiting the harm (Av)
machine safety standards

EN 62061 assigns a safety integrity level (SIL) from 1 to 3 based on the severity of potential harm and the probability of the harm occurring.
Image credit: TUV

Each of these parameters is scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being the “worst,” or least safe situation, and their scores are summed to determine a class (Cl). The SIL rating is then chosen from a matrix that plots the severity scores (Se) and classes (Cl).

machine safety standards

SIL ratings are determined by a matrix that ranks the severity of injury and the injury classification.

Once the safety integrity level (SIL) has been assigned, the system is broken into subsystems, whose architectures are classified as A, B, C, or D, with D being the “highest,” or safest. Each architecture is associated with a formula to determine the probability of dangerous failure per hour (PFHd) of the subsystem.

machine safety standards

Note that performance level (PL) ratings under EN/ISO 13849-1 are also correlated with probability of dangerous failures per hour (PFHd) values, so direct comparisons can be made between EN/ISO 13849-1 performance levels and EN 62061 safety integrity levels.

There is no strict guideline regarding the use of machine safety standards for particular applications, but the choice may be influenced by:

  • Prior experience with one standard or risk assessment methodology
  • The use of safety-related controls that are not based on electrical, electronic, or programmable electronic systems (use EN/ISO 13849-1)
  • A requirement to use SIL ratings to demonstrate safety integrity (use IEC 62061)
  • Use of equipment in process industries where other safety-related systems are characterized in terms of SIL (use IEC 62061)

CC-Link IE TSN and motion-control applications: Technical update for engineers

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Time-sensitive networking (TSN) is not a protocol but an update to improve the IEEE Ethernet standard … and let engineers use general-purpose Ethernet for increasingly fast and sophisticated control and automation. It includes IEEE802.1AS defining its time-synchronization scheme and IEEE802.1Qbv defining its timesharing scheme. These make for punctual and reliable data and signal transmission to get synchronized and deterministic communications over Ethernet.

In a recent conversation about TSN, Design World asked CC-Link Partner Association for the Americas director Timothy Lomax as well as CLPA-Americas manager John F. Wozniak, P.E. several questions about CC-Link IE Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) — a new network offering based on CC-Link IE. CC-Link IE TSN supports integration of Operational Technology (OT) and IT while boosting the performance and functionality automated system communications.

Here’s what Lomax and Wozniak had to say when specifically asked about how CC-Link IE TSN supports motion designs.

How does time-sensitive networking (TSN) help motion applications?

Lomax: Over the last few decades, motion control has shown incredible advancement. Today’s designs include internal processing of motion-control commands and related functions … and other hardware driving ever-increasing performance. Consider high-resolution encoders: Now these are to 24 and 25-bit resolution … and we’re constantly seeing higher resolutions from encoders for motion applications. Here and elsewhere, the trend towards higher performance continues unabated for servo motion … and these benefit from components and networking (TSN in particular) to synchronize disparate motion axes.

Smart factories need to gather production information in real time; process it via edge computing; and transmit it onward to IT systems. Leveraging production-site data in this way necessitates a stable high-speed network such as CC-Link IE TSN.

What are networking challenges specific to motion control?

Wozniak: For motion applications, the biggest concern isn’t necessarily network speed. Rather, it’s jitter. So an engineer can have a slow motion control … but if it exhibits absolutely zero jitter (which means that latency is always the same amount of time) it’s an acceptable motion network. Unfortunately, traffic over standard general-purpose internet protocol (IP) Transmission Control Protocol and User Datagram Protocol (TCP and UDP) networks always exhibit jitter … and signals on that network can come nanoseconds (or more) sooner or later than expected.

TSN prioritizes signals and dedicates a lane and portion of the cycle time for prioritized messages. During a blockout time preceding the reserved cycle time, messages that threaten the prioritized messages’ timing are prevented from entering the TSN switch. CC-Link IE TSN also divides messages to ensure reliability. Set timeframes for set motion signals dramatically reduce latency (jitter time) and make the system predictable and deterministic.

In this CC-Link IE TSN application example, a servo motor is momentarily stopped during an alignment operation, and a vision system validates the quality of the workpiece. Here, a CC-Link IE TSN-compatible servo amplifier and vision sensor could enable time synchronization to let the vision sensor accurately scan and process the attributes of the workpiece while being moved by the servomotor. Such setups could boost cycle time and reduce wiring. The large volume of image data from the vision sensor can transmit via IP communication using the same single-network system — having less wiring and the same servo-control performance as traditional setups.

What other functions can CC-Link IE TSN support?

Lomax: TSN supports motion, sequence control, and safety functions and their related hardware offerings — including those for traditional I/O and safety, servo motion, CNC, and process functions. TSN even supports the challenging application of machine vision. As mentioned, the use of common Ethernet connectivity also means this TSN network supports IoT functionality.

How does CC-Link IE accommodate devices communicating at disparate speeds?

Wozniak: CC-Link IE Field runs off an ASIC and is fixed at 1 Gbps. CC-Link IE Field Basic (the general-purpose CC-Link IE) accommodates 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps networking such as TSN. But we recognize that not everybody needs 1 Gbps … and these engineers can execute slower software implementations while maintaining a path to motion and TSN. They can put lower-level software devices on TSN that may transmit messages once every five seconds, but that’s not going to affect devices sending messages once every millisecond. Other networks wait for the former to transmit; in contrast, TSN (and CC-Link IE-implemented TSN) proceeds with handling the every-millisecond signals and “works in” the every-five-second messages.

It’s a network that satisfies an array of applications, including those that have cost constraints … because it’s a software-based network that accepts slower devices … and it’s not expensive. In fact, CC-Link IE TSN lets engineers use hardware or software for masters or slaves (and not just ASICs) for one or the other or both. This is one of the few networks that lets engineers employ software-software, hardware-hardware, or any mixture of hardware and software to get a complete network.

How does CC-Link IE TSN enable IIoT functionality?

Lomax: CC-Link IE TSN supports IT systems and where edge processing and computing executes — acting as one network to bridge all systems together. Key here of course is having hardware architecture to enable that — with intelligence for diagnostics, safety, and security.

Consider the automotive industry, which requires capacity and bandwidth. Many of this industry’s operations already have diagnostics to make troubleshooting machinery across vast facilities easier — because remember, these are operations so big that employees literally ride bicycles from one end of the plant to the other. So it’s helpful to know whether a problem is next door or all the way on the other side of the plant. The semiconductor industry — including teams developing the smartphone hardware of tomorrow — also needs built-in connection and connectivity from the machines in its facilities … as does the packaging industry.

Look for manufacturers developing TSN-compatible products in this realm — for sequence control, safety, robotic applications, and HMIs, and the rest of it — with not just talk about TSN but actual hardware for engineers to connect and try.

CC-Link IE TSN combines Gb bandwidth with time sensitive networking to deliver open networking for smart factories.

Kevin Barker selected as new president of Beckhoff Automation LLC

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Barker to manage operations of US Beckhoff subsidiary

Beckhoff

Kevin Barker (pictured) becomes the new president of Beckhoff USA, succeeding Aurelio Banda.

Beckhoff Automation is pleased to announce that Kevin Barker has been appointed the new president of Beckhoff Automation LLC to manage Beckhoff business operations across the US. Barker takes over the leadership role that Aurelio Banda has held for four years. Banda led Beckhoff Automation LLC revenue growth and business developments to new heights, finishing fiscal year 2018 with nearly $80 million in US sales, new field offices and more employees than ever.

As the new president, Barker will oversee all sales, engineering, marketing and administrative operations from the headquarters of Beckhoff Automation LLC in Savage, Minn. (Minneapolis area). This location also houses the main technical support hub and warehouse for Beckhoff customers in the US. Prior to joining Beckhoff, Barker worked at Yaskawa America, Inc. as the director of sales in the company’s motion division.

“As a proven manager of large, cross-functional teams, and an esteemed expert on motion control, EtherCAT and general automation technologies, Kevin Barker is well prepared to guide Beckhoff Automation LLC to the next phase of business development,” said Hans Beckhoff, managing director and founder of Beckhoff Automation. “Kevin’s expertise and abilities align very well with our philosophy to implement leading automation technology based on Beckhoff’s PC Control principles, in close collaboration with customers. As the leadership hand-off from Aurelio Banda is completed, Beckhoff Automation LLC operates on its strongest foundation ever with significant revenue growth, major investments in new regional offices and the hiring of numerous skilled employees across the US.”

Over an eight-year tenure at Yaskawa, Barker led multi-national sales teams with the responsibility to develop complex industrial markets, large sales channels and advanced motion control offerings, including the company’s lineup of EtherCAT servo drives. Barker, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Illinois Wesleyan University, also held director-level positions at Mitsubishi Electric Automation and Omron Electronics earlier in his career.

According to Barker, the prospects for developing the market in general automation technology and a rapidly evolving portfolio of motion control solutions were major factors in his decision to join Beckhoff Automation and lead the subsidiary into a new era.

“I have dedicated my entire career to helping machine builders, manufacturers and other high-tech companies succeed on a global scale with leading-edge automation technologies. Beckhoff Automation is the logical progression of my journey and an exciting new chapter,” Barker said. “I am honored to lead the US subsidiary of such a profoundly innovative automation company. Further, I am ready to take charge with a strategic vision that empowers all US-based employees, lifting the high bar set at Beckhoff Automation, the inventor of EtherCAT and pioneer in PC-based control technology.”

Barker succeeds Aurelio Banda who has served as CEO and president of Beckhoff in North America for four years and guided the company to consecutive double-digit profit growth. Banda was a driving force behind the Beckhoff growth across the US, Canada and Mexico. During his tenure, Beckhoff became the preferred automation partner for many highly recognizable Fortune 500 companies across numerous industries, such as packaging, entertainment, semiconductors, metal cutting and material handling/logistics. This has proven to be the catalyst for business success and a key point in Banda’s legacy at Beckhoff as he leaves on the best of terms.

“I have had the privilege to lead Beckhoff in North America, starting with a vision to expand our market, which has been shaped into the reality today of deeply entrenched market penetration with even more well-established US manufacturers and machine builders. My time with Beckhoff Automation has been an immensely rewarding experience that I will never forget,” Banda said. “I am excited now to pursue new endeavors, and envision Kevin Barker continuing to drive the momentum Beckhoff has built to date in numerous high-tech industries throughout the United States.”

Beckhoff Automation

B&R X20-series stepper motor module to boost efficiency

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The new X20SM1436-1 module from B&R is a new X20 module for direct control of stepper motors. The module runs stepper motors with operating voltages from 18 to 60 Vdc at currents to 2.5 A. Plus integrated current reduction function increases performance and reduces energy consumption.

With the current reduction function, B&R has integrated sensorless load-dependent current control, which significantly increases the performance of the module. By regulating the current downwards de-pending on the operating situation and load, the module allows energy savings of up to 75%.

Smoother operation: The current reduction function also significantly reduces power dissipation and heat accumulation in the module. At the same time, current control also results in the stepper motor running more smoothly. For self-protection, the stepper motor module has an inrush current limiter and a motor outlet with short circuit and overload protection.

Digital inputs with open circuit monitoring: The module has four digital 24 Vdc inputs. Three of them can be configured as ABR encoder inputs with a counter frequency of 50 kHz for 4x evaluation. In addition, all digital inputs have open circuit monitoring, which increases operational security. To detect slippage, the module has been equipped with stall detection.

The new stepper motor module from the X20 series offers sensorless and load-dependent current control.

B&R is an innovative automation company with headquarters in Austria and offices all around the world. On July 6, 2017, B&R became a business unit of the ABB Group. As a global leader in industrial automation, B&R combines state-of-the-art technology with advanced engineering to provide customers in virtually every industry with complete solutions for machine and factory automation, motion control, HMI and integrated safety technology. With Industrial IoT communication standards like OPC UA, POWERLINK and openSAFETY as well as the powerful Automa-tion Studio software development environment, B&R is constantly redefining the future of automation engineering. The innovative spirit that keeps B&R at the forefront of industrial automation is driven by a commitment to simplifying processes and exceeding customer expectations. For more information, visit this deep link detailing the new stepper drive on www.br-automation.com.

See it at ATX West: Applied Motion Technology’s latest motors and integrated drives

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Applied Motion Products will give personal demonstrations of its latest motor, stepper drive, and servo drive technology at ATX West … at the Anaheim Convention Center Feb. 5 to 7, 2019. Visit Booth 4264 to check out the following technology:

MDX Integrated Servo Motors that combine high torque density, low inertia servo motors with on-board drives and controllers to create all-in-one integrated motor solutions that save on space, wiring, and cost over conventional servo systems with separate motor and drive components.

StepSERVO Integrated Motors that provide cost-effective and high-torque motion control for high throughput applications such as packaging and labeling, automated test and measurement, and automated assembly.

STF Stepper Drives that support a range of industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus network protocols including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus, Ethernet and RS-485, as well as a proprietary Serial Command Language (SCL) for efficient network communications over Ethernet (UDP or TCP) and RS-485. Using STF stepper drives, system designers and machine builders have the flexibility to control step motors using the network protocol of their choice.

SV200 Digital Servo Drives that operate on 24, 48, or higher dc supply voltages for space-constrained and multi-axis motion control applications.

PI exhibiting motion and automation subsystems at SPIE Photonics West 2019

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Descend the escalator and enter the exhibit hall to the world’s largest multidisciplinary photonics event. Taking just a few steps past the entrance, PI’s booth displays the latest state-of-the-art precision motion technologies. PI engineers are on-hand to answer questions and propose solutions for precision motion projects in industry, research, and science.

PI will highlight its new gantries, automation sub-systems for laser material processing, and silicon photonics (SiP) alignment engines in addition to novel piezoceramic drive solutions and motion and control technologies at Photonics West in San Francisco, starting February 5, 2019.

High-speed automation: Hybrid gantries, linear motors, air bearings, and piezo flexures: PI’s new hybrid gantry has a unique, space saving guide design. The bridge axis is equipped with an air bearing guide that allows exact control of velocity as well as outstanding repeatability and straightness, while reducing particle emission over the work area considerably.

New linear-motor stages, specifically developed for industrial automation help photonics and laser processing engineers design better performing motion systems. New Piezo flexure-guided linear positioners offer excellent precision and responsiveness with step and settle typically in the millisecond range with billions of cycles of service life. Cost-effective and small footprint options are available for easy integration into applications such as image scanning, overlay, fast autofocus, interferometry, and super-resolution microscopy. Air bearings with linear motor drives provide another option when long travel vibration-free motion is required, highly constant velocity control is crucial, together with angular repeatability and geometric performance.

Miniaturization – fingertip-sized positioners: The ongoing miniaturization of instruments requires opto-mechanical alignment, positioning, and assembly on a smaller scale. Direct drive piezo motors that are only a few millimeters in size enable ultra-compact positioning stages. Finger-tip sized linear and rotary stages are standard, but much smaller custom designs are feasible. Single to 6-axis designs are available. Resolutions from µm to nanometers are standard.

High-speed photonics alignment engines: PI’s SiP alignment product line addresses the requirement of aligning multiple parallel optical paths with multiple interacting inputs and outputs, each needing optimization. The automated alignment engines include 3 to 12-axis mechanisms, controllers with firmware based alignment algorithms, and the software tools to meet the high accuracy demands of different markets such as packing, planar testing, and inspection. Hexapod 6-axis parallel positioning systems are instrumental to fast SiP alignment due to their lower inertia, improved dynamics, smaller package size and higher stiffness, and programmable pivot point.

Microscopy imaging and bio-nanotechnology solution packages: Researchers make use of the sub-atomic resolution and extreme responsiveness of piezo stages and nanopositioners to create higher-quality images faster. PI provides a large variety of fast XYZ stages and microscope lens positioners for 3D imaging (Z-stack acquisition), deconvolution, and fast auto-focusing applications. A line of ultra-stable long-travel microscope stages with self-locking piezo motors is also available. For more information, visit pi-usa.us/en/tech-blog.

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