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

Motion Control Tips

Automation • Motion Control • Power Transmission

  • News
    • Industry News
    • Editor Blogs
    • Video
  • 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
  • FAQs
    • Motion Casebook
    • Motion Selection Guides
  • Suppliers
You are here: Home / Controls / Trends: PC-based controllers enable easy IoT connectivity, predictive maintenance

Trends: PC-based controllers enable easy IoT connectivity, predictive maintenance

April 19, 2021 By Mary Gannon Leave a Comment

Rather than traditional standalone systems, modern motion systems are integrated into the overall machine environment, making for easier connectivity and IoT implementations. Here, Daymon Thompson, U.S. Software Product Manager and Sree Swarna Gutta, U.S. I/O Product Manager, Beckhoff Automation LLC, weigh in on how their technologies are enabling this transition.

1. What edge devices do you supply or support to allow for use of feedback signals or distributed motion control? 

Modern motion systems, including those for advanced mechatronic technologies like XPlanar, are fully incorporated into the main TwinCAT software environment, making it easier to add IoT capabilities for performance optimization or predictive maintenance.
Modern motion systems, including those for advanced mechatronic technologies like XPlanar, are fully incorporated into the main TwinCAT software environment, making it easier to add IoT capabilities for performance optimization or predictive maintenance.

Daymon Thompson: Any Beckhoff machine controller with motion control capability can be very easily and quickly configured to process feedback signals, status and many other pieces of information locally. They can also send this valuable data to another edge device or directly to the cloud. Any of these devices also support distributed motion control, even across multiple controllers using real-time protocols such as EtherCAT, EtherCAT Automation Protocol (EAP) or other real-time publisher-subscriber (pub/sub) mechanisms.

2. Have you begun to sell (or seen use of) gateways to give new and legacy equipment more connectivity?

Sree Swarna Gutta: Beckhoff supports more than 30 different fieldbus systems. This helps customers connect with legacy devices, especially in brownfield sites. A single Beckhoff controller can even act as sort of a “Swiss Army Knife” of protocols. The controller could serve as a gateway to legacy protocols, such as DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, Modbus, Serial, CANopen, etc., to modern IoT protocols, including MQTT, AMQP and HTTPS/REST, and industrial Ethernet protocols like EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and so on.

Also, I/O devices like IoT bus couplers give customers the flexibility to add new technology to existing machines without having to do a complete redesign. For example, engineers could add the EK9160 IoT Bus Coupler from Beckhoff directly to the I/O segment and establish communication via a simple configuration page rather than programming. Combined with new sensors to collect power, vibration or other data, this retrofitting for IoT strategy could add completely new optimization and predictive maintenance capabilities to existing machines without having to change the existing controls.

High-end measurement modules, including the Beckhoff ELM series, allow machine builders and end users to collect better data for predictive maintenance, performance optimization and more.
High-end measurement modules, including the Beckhoff ELM series, allow machine builders and end users to collect better data for predictive maintenance, performance optimization and more.

3. Do you offer any new I/O options? 

Beckhoff offers a full line of high-end measurement modules that are well suited to motion applications. Traditionally, high-end measurement modules were limited to test and lab environments, partially because of their high price points. In particular, the new ELM series delivers high-resolution and high-accuracy data measurement on an industrial machine through affordable, compact, EtherCAT-integrated modules. With machine builders moving more toward predictive maintenance, the need for data collection is more important than ever. Any data analysis is only as good as the quality of data you can collect. With the Beckhoff high-end measurement modules, machine builders and end users can collect a wide range of data at up to 50 ksps at 24-bit resolution and 100 ppm accuracy.

4. How are the IIoT and increasingly networked manufacturing prompting changes in the way motion systems are installed?

Daymon Thompson: Using PC-based control, modern motion systems are no longer seen as standalone platforms. Today, wide-ranging motor and drive technologies are fully integrated with the overall machine control environment. This integrated approach enables simple configuration for enhanced vertical connectivity and IIoT implementations. As such, engineers have to consider not only the capabilities of the individual components but also the automation software that enables a fully integrated engineering and runtime. Users should seek out software platforms that can handle as much of the programming as possible under one roof – including, PLC, motion control, safety, HMI, measurement and monitoring, machine vision and, of course, IoT.

Beckhoff Automation LLC
beckhoff.com/ethercat
beckhoff.com/industrie40

You may also like:


  • TwinCAT/BSD offers alternative operating system for Beckhoff Industrial PCs
  • Beckhoff TwinCAT
    TwinCAT IoT now supports Siemens’ MindSphere
  • drives
    Integrated servo drives in EtherCAT I/O terminal format

  • XTS from Beckoff offers hygienic design with optimal cleanability

  • Beckhoff EL51xx EtherCAT Terminals enhance incremental signal analysis

Filed Under: Controls, PC-Based Controllers Tagged With: beckhoffautomation

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

POWER TRANSMISSION REFERENCE GUIDE

DESIGN GUIDE LIBRARY

“motion
Subscribe Today

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Specifying electric rodless actuators: Ten tips for maximizing actuator life and system performance
  • The truth about actuator life: Screw drive survival
  • Top Ten Tips: How to specify electric rod-style actuators for optimal performance, reliability and efficiency

Footer

Motion Control Tips

DESIGN WORLD NETWORK

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

MOTION CONTROL TIPS

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us
Follow us on TwitterAdd us on FacebookAdd us on LinkedInAdd us on YouTubeAdd us on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · 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