Many segments of the mechanical equipment manufacturing industry produce machines that have one principal item in common. Specifically, these machines rely on motion control tasks, involving increasingly complex motion and greater speed and precision.

In the past, motion control tasks were carried out using mechanical components and a variety of electronic components (such as output cam controllers and positioning or multi-axis modules). Specific machine functions have been implemented by combining and modifying mechanical components in complex ways

Functional change or an additional requirement often meant switching to other components, entailing new construction, configuration, parameter assignment and programming, training, and additional spare parts.

The resolution of this situation is the development of new concept in implementing motion control tasks called as Mechantronic Solution.

In mechatronic solutions, functionality is based on simple parameter assignment and programming in the motion control software. The conversion to machine functions is then handled by servo drives and standardized mechanical components

Advantages of a mechatronic solution:

• Greater flexibility in machine design
• Significant increase in the clock-pulse rate through optimization of axis motions
• Reduced setup time allows change over to a different product at the touch of a button without changing any mechanical components
• Reduced number of parts subject to wear and reduced maintenance cost
• High output rate
• Uniform product quality
• Flexible machinery
• Short delivery times and low price due to fast production

Motion Control Takes Center Stage
To realize the many advantages of mechatronic-based machine designs, powerful motion control software is needed. Ultimately, it is the software that makes it possible to optimize motion, adapt motions to new products or machine versions, and implement new types of motion. Motion control thus takes center stage in implementing new machine designs.