• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Motion Control Tips

Automation • Motion Control • Power Transmission

  • News
    • Industry News
    • Editor Blogs
  • Controls
    • HMIs
    • PC-Based Controllers
    • PLCs + PACs
    • Stand-Alone Controllers
    • Software
  • Drives
    • Servo Drives
    • Stepper Drives
  • Encoders
    • Absolute Encoders
    • Incremental Encoders
    • Rotary Encoders
  • Mechanical
    • Bearings
    • Brakes + Clutches
    • Belt + chain
    • Couplings
    • Gears + Gearing
    • Lubrication
    • Shock + Vibration Mitigation
    • Springs + Rings + Seals
  • Linear
    • Actuators
    • Linear Motors
    • Linear Encoders
  • Motors
    • AC Motors
    • DC Motors
    • Brushless Motors
    • Gearmotors
    • Piezo Motors
    • Servo Motors
    • Stepper Motors
  • Systems
    • Conveyors + linear transport systems
    • Gantries + Stages
    • Rotary Tables
    • Grippers + End Effectors
    • Robotics
  • Networks
    • Connections + Sliprings
    • Fieldbuses
    • I/O
    • Sensors + Vision
  • Resources
    • FAQs
      • Motion Casebook
      • Motion Selection Guides
    • Suppliers
    • Video
You are here: Home / Drives + Supplies / Machine Tool Trends: more safety and distributed control

Machine Tool Trends: more safety and distributed control

May 6, 2015 By Miles Budimir Leave a Comment

by Miles Budimir, Senior Editor for Design World—

Machine tools almost naturally keep pace with advances in motion control, because they’re basically highly precise motion control systems involving accurate and precise positioning.

Advances in networking and computing power of controllers have led to better machine tool performance and added functionality in areas such as safety, distributed control and decentralized intelligent control.

Karl Rapp, applications engineering manager, Machine Tool & Automotive, Bosch Rexroth, describes some of the developments. For instance, from the company’s perspective, “Safe motion integration with CIP Safety on Sercos (CSos) has proven to be quite flexible for distributed and centralized SafeLogic solutions,” he said. “The user can now choose, for each Bosch Rexroth IndraDrive servo drive, up to 16 different safe motion functions selected with the CSos and transferred through the Sercos automation bus between the safety controller and each IndraDrive. This enables distributed safety for fast response and easy validation.”

Another advance comes in the form of distributed hydraulic motion control with the company’s valve-integrated hydraulic axis control on the Sercos real-time automation bus. “The distributed control closes all loops, allows users to switch between position and pressure control, and works with PLCs, motion logic systems and CNCs,” said Rapp. “It allows the use of modern high-axis-count machine tools that rely on the small footprint of highly dynamic hydraulic motion, such as compact rotary transfer machines.”

SafeLogic-from-Bosch-Rexroth
Scalable safety is easier to implement with products like SafeLogic from Bosch Rexroth, particularly for safe logic processing in small to mid-range machines.

Advances in computing power for controllers lead to more powerful high-end processor hardware. This in turn enables better performance in many areas, such as PLC code execution, number of CNC channels (stations), interpolator features and Sercos automation bus synchronization, with distributed intelligent drives that are required for the high axis count used in linear or rotary transfer machines for the highest production.

“The distributed intelligence in the Rexroth IndraDrive platform enables the new machine tool cutting solution called “non-circular” turning, which previously required expensive specialty equipment,” said Rapp. He added, “The highly synchronous Sercos automation bus (Ethernet 100 MBps) enables the most deterministic synchronization of drive positioning and CNC path interpolation that brings new performance levels to milling machine tools.”

As for applications that are impacting machine tool designs, Rapp noted that “End-users of parts with short cycle times are contributing to changes in machine tools, with the technique of 5- or 6-sided machining done in one set up, which requires CNC controllers with high channel count (for stations) and axes (electric and hydraulic mixed).”

The precision feedback needs of machine tooling applications are also leading to changes for encoder manufacturers. For example, Bob Setbacken from Heidenhain said, “High performance absolute positioning has been driven by the costs to manufacture more and more sophisticated components and devices. When a machine tool can spend hours on a part, the risk of interruption becomes more likely.” As a result, “absolute encoders on the axes will allow production to resume without flaw,” he said. “For machines with a high number of active axes and elaborate part fixturing, machine-space mapping for crash prevention is also most readily supported by absolute positioning, and in these cases, both linear and rotary feedback will be required. When these machines are calibrated, the need for encoders offering safety will also be demanded, and so an absolute encoder that is certified for safety applications will be preferred over solutions requiring redundancy.”

You Might Also Like

Filed Under: Drives + Supplies, Servo Drives

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

LEARNING CENTER

Design World Learning Center

Motion Control Handbook

“mct
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Design Engineering Professionals.

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Robotic Automation is Indispensable for the Logistics Industry’s Continued Growth and Success
  • Reliable Linear Motion For Packaging Machines
  • Polymers Outperform Metals In Precision Gearing

Footer

Motion Control Tips

DESIGN WORLD NETWORK

Design World Online
The Robot Report
Coupling Tips
Linear Motion Tips
Bearing Tips
Fastener Engineering.
Wire and Cable Tips

MOTION CONTROL TIPS

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy | RSS