STATE OF TECHNOLOGY REPORT Motors, Drives and Motion

STATE OF TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Motors, Drives and Motion

STATE OF TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Motors, Drives and Motion

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

How do I make precision-motion machinery IIoT-ready? 6

Equipment with multiple motion applications needs to have

connectivity to the Industrial Internet of Things

Invite the drives to join the motor team 21

The best motor and drive for the application should

go together like two peas in a pod

The basics of variable frequency drive installation 25

Once a VFD is specified, pay attention to these installation

tips to realize its benefits

Keys to specifying hydraulic power systems 29

How to be fluid with the component choices that create

powerful pressure and flow

Variable data finishing system keeps pace with digital-printing technology 33

Sprint Variable Data Finishing System transforms variable

print material to finished product at 1,500 ft/min

www.controldesign.com

eHANDBOOK: Motors, Motion & Drives 3

AD INDEXAerotech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Allied Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Beckhoff Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Bimba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Bishop WisCaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Festo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Fraba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

KEB America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Without motors, motion systems and drives, many machines won’t work . And,

to get the work done properly, there are basics to understand beyond the

simple single-speed motor application . There is much to consider—including

how components must be installed properly—when specifying and designing systems to use

motors and drives .

Rotary motion devices are moving beyond the machine to the Industrial Internet of Things,

as well . This report highlights best practices to follow for precision motion on new and

future OEM equipment . Hydraulic power systems are also creating motion today, and they

need motors . Digital-printing technology is also taking advantage of motors, motion and

drives to create industrial-strength finishing systems .

This State of Technology Report brings together expert advice related to trends in motors,

motion and drives . The basics of motor and drive selection and variable-speed-drive instal-

lation are included, as well . We hope you find this useful .

Get machines moving with motors, motion and drives



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A Control Design reader asks: I work for an OEM, and we are developing new equip-

ment that requires multiple motion applications on one machine . This includes

master-follower rollers, tension control, unwind, wind, variable speed conveyors,

a precision three-axis gantry and automatic changeover position adjustments . It covers the

full range of motion control from simple ac induction motors to stepper motors and preci-

sion servo control .

Our sales department wants to sell this new OEM equipment as the latest technology in-

cluding the buzzwords “precision motion” and “IoT-ready features .” With all the different

motion-control requirements on the equipment, do I mix and match the best motor, stepper

or servo for each axis, or do I just use servos on every axis? Along the same lines, should I

stick with a single controller or distribute the motion control? I’m looking for best-practices

in motion control for this new and future OEM equipment .

ANSWERS

How do I make precision-motion machinery IIoT-ready?Equipment with multiple motion applications needs to have

connectivity to the Industrial Internet of Things .

By Mike Bacidore, editor in chief



SINGLE PLATFORMPrecision motion control can be defined by

network update rate, positioning accuracy,

throughput and drive loop closure rates,

plus the functionalities listed and safe mo-

tion capabilities .

IoT-readiness means supporting standards

needed to communicate with the cloud,

such as OPC-UA and Ethernet, but we are

still defining the architecture in the Indus-

trial Internet Consortium (IIC) and the IIC’s


Smart Factory Task Group, so it would be a stretch to call

machinery IoT-ready .

For control, definitely use a single control platform . Syn-

chronizing motion between multiple controllers costs en-

gineering effort, money (hardware and software licenses),

performance (time used to communicate between control-

lers), space and wiring . One program developed in one

software-development environment should run on one pro-

cessor on one controller on one network cable to run HMI,

motion, I/O, PLC, robots, safety, condition and energy moni-

toring . The technology is there today, all standards-based .

When deciding between servo and stepper and VFD, there

are two schools of thought . You can spend a little more, and

standardize on servos to reduce maintenance inventory and

increase performance, but more likely you will use a mix of

servo and VFD and quite possibly steppers, which have got-

ten more controllable and can be very cost-competitive .

For example, a manufacturer of palletizers offers two op-

tions, both using the same inverter drives and software

function blocks that can run both servo motors and induc-

tion motors . The motors replace pneumatics completely,

so they differentiate as the only all-electric palletizer . For

customer that require higher performance, they have an

all-servo option where the induction motors are replaced by

servos (same drive rack, same controller) .

—John Kowal, director, business development, B&R Industrial Automation,

www .br-automation .com

CENTRALIZED CONTROLAs you work on a motion control solution for a complex

machine, you should break down the machine into the

mechanical structure . Following the mechanical structure

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of your machine, define each part of the machine, such as

infeed, different functionalities of the machine and outfeed .

If all of the mechanical modules are defined, you can use

technology modules to realize the single application parts .

This is a typical controller-based solution . The controller, as

the brain of the machine, controls everything using technol-

ogy modules . If most of your machine’s axes are servo axes,

it’s best to use only servo axes . But a one-drive solution is

able to run a standard motor or a servo motor .

When you have a controller-based solution with technol-

ogy modules, machine information is centralized in one

place . The controller can be connected to the Internet and

the cloud, giving you the necessary machine information,

allowing you to meet your IoT requirements .

—Daniel Repp, business development manager of automation solutions,

Lenze Americas, www .lenze .com

PROS VS. CONSToday in automation, there is no concept more popular than

the Internet of Things . The underlying idea, of course, is that

we are moving toward architectures made by components

(drives, sensors) that are smart and connected enough to

run independent functionalities, such as energy manage-

ment, self-diagnostics and email notification . At this point

though, there are very few hardware components available

that have that level of brain and certainly not enough of

them to cover an entire complex architecture .

PLCs, motion controllers, and industrial PCs (IPCs) are still

the parts of the machine that collect data, run diagnostics

and connect with the outside world for analysis, service and

maintenance . As per how to implement the control system in

a complex machine, there are two different approaches—cen-

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tralized architectures and decentralized architectures—both

with pros and cons .

Centralized: Typically run by an IPC or a powerful motion

controller, it’s an architecture with only one controller

running the entire system managing motion control, the

logic control and the process control elements .

Pros:

• one controller (reduced upfront cost)

• one program (all the variables and the information are at

hand in the same program) .

Cons:

• program complexity (the code has to take care of every-

thing)

• loss of modularity (adding or removing parts of the ma-

chine requires severe changes of the code) .

Decentralized: Typically run by a process PLC or an IPC as

supervisor, the different functionalities of the architecture

become modules with each one handled by a local control-

ler (motion controller or PLC, depending of the task) .

Pros:

• local programs are easier to write, maintain and troubleshoot

• modules are easier to build, wire and service

• more IoT-like architecture (not many smart components,

but smart modules) .

Cons:

• each module needs a controller (higher upfront costs)

• each module controller needs to exchange information

with the supervisor controller (more coding to ensure

proper communication and variable exchange) .

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Regardless of the architecture chosen,

there are a few best practices that would

offer advantages to an OEM developing

complex architectures .

• Use programming software which includes

PLC and HMI programming and drives

commissioning in one package . This will

reduce the development of the software

aspect and will focus the maintenance and

service crews to a single platform .

• Where possible, use a single vendor that

can provide the whole solution . This will

minimize the time and the hassle of mak-

ing the different hardware components

talk to the controller(s) .

• If there are reasons to not select one

vendor for everything (end-user specifica-

tion or specific functionality requirements

not available from that vendor offer), pick

vendors that offer hardware open to third-

party equipment, possibly with libraries

and/or programming examples that can

be provided .

—Simone Gianotti, motion product manager, Schneider

Electric, www .schneider-electric .us

PNEUMATIC POSITIONINGDependent on the application, pneumatic

positioning and motion control could be

used as an alternative . This may provide a

better return on investment versus preci-

sion stepper controls with a lower price

point to the market, especially in areas

requiring washdown and IP-rated products .

Many operations performed in automa-

tion are very well suited for pneumatics,

often involving repetitive fast-moving tasks

that involve linear and/or rotational mo-

tion . Pneumatics can offer 100% duty cycle

without heat buildup when compared to

some electrical solutions and offer condition

monitoring providing IoT-ready features

such as valve-level diagnostics and condi-

tion monitoring solutions .

—Mark Densley, head of product management—con-

trols, Aventics, www .aventics .com/us

BALANCE COST AND PERFORMANCEThere is a difference between what a sales

department asks for and what it can sell .

Machine designers and engineers are con-

stantly tasked with the job of balancing cost

with performance . Deciding to select all

servos and the highest-performing control

is often not the best choice .

Regarding the controller, I would recom-

mend using an embedded control or in-

dustrial PC (IPC) where you can . Create

modular, brand-free code; use existing

motion function blocks; and implement a

synchronized motion fieldbus such as Ether-

CAT . Using an embedded subcontroller for

the three-axis gantry would simplify your

overall machine control, but distributing the

controllers further may simply add cost to

your machine .

Servos are not always the best choice

in motor technology . AC motors and

drives perform well where the rotor iner-



tia doesn’t hinder performance, such as

conveyors, master-followers and tension

systems . Servos are typically the best

performers on robots and high-speed

gantry systems, where their high torque-

to-inertia ratio really shines . However, if

the gantry system is large, then servos

lose their dynamic edge and ac motors

meet the need . Small, subfractional hp

applications can utilize stepper systems .

In any case, choose a drive system that

can be linked to the motion fieldbus . You

will reduce machine wiring, ease motion

control, improve machine troubleshooting,

gain data collection and improve machine

serviceability . Connected drives can be

programmed automatically and are reach-

able via remote access .

Don’t forget remote access . Customers

expect fast responses when something

goes wrong . Using a secure, reliable re-

mote device will pay for itself with the

first trouble call .

—Scott Cunningham, engineering manager, KEB Ameri-

ca, www .kebamerica .com

FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEXThe newest product lines on the market

offer controller platforms and flexible

multi-axis systems that perform both com-

plex and simple automation and motion

control tasks . When a multi-axis system is

required, customers can look to modular

VFDs (Figure 1) . These modular systems

have the ability to handle precision servo

control and master-slave functions, as well



MULTI-AXISFigure 1: When a multi-axis system is required, customers can look to modular VFDs.



as controlling simple applications such as

variable-speed conveyors, tension control

and winding applications . With the ability

to run synchronous or asynchronous mo-

tors with or without encoder feedback, it

isn’t necessary to purchase servos for every

axis . State-of-the-art features like this allow

customers to be cost-effective with their

motor selections, while ensuring a perfect

solution for their applications . When it

comes to deciding on how many controllers

to use, companies make it simple, providing

powerful controllers with high performance

that can handle several axes, eliminating the

need for several controllers on a single ma-

chine . With some of these advanced con-

trollers, you can choose from a wide range

of application modules, from positioning, to

robotics, that are simply configured and re-

quire no programming experience . For the

advanced user, a fully operational program-

ming environment that allows the user to

program the machine exactly as they see fit

is available .

—Jason Oakley, electronics product/application engi-

neer, SEW-Eurodrive, www .seweurodrive .com

FLEXIBILITY IS VITALBased on the application and functions

described, the OEM would ideally use a

control platform that has open interfaces to

third-party automation products (RF sen-

sors, vision systems, glue or heater con-

trols) . The control needs to be capable of

interfacing with all of the mentioned motor

technologies (Figure 2) .

The control the reader ultimately chooses

should offer functional libraries already

developed for robotic and winding/tension

functions, so that he or she will not have to

create them from scratch . For winding con-

trol, as an example, and robotics, the OEM

can simply choose from pre-engineered

libraries and/or function blocks, and thus

will not have to reinvent the wheel . The

engineering time savings are considerable,

eliminating much of the usual additional cal-

culations and math needed for these types

of motion segments .

CONTROL CAPABILITIESFigure 2: New capabilities in today’s control allow machine builders to develop all-new, customer-specific ways to interact with, monitor and manage their machines, including mobile-device based interfaces.



To answer the reader’s question about single

vs . distributed control, what it really comes

down to is how the OEM’s machinery is ulti-

mately sold . One control can certainly handle

all of the functions described; however, if the

OEM offers individual elements of the ma-

chine for sale separately, it may be of benefit

to offer the machine with multiple controls .

To help this OEM’s sales organization, the

most important technology choice for

precision motion will be in the drive tech-

nology chosen . Clearly, servo motion is the

most precise for critical motion elements in

the machine .

As for IoT-readiness, this can mean a lot of

things . What will be important for the OEM’s

sales team is to help end users of their ma-

chines to understand how the IoT benefits

them specifically . In the type of application

described by the reader, IoT-ready typically

means machine connectivity paired with

good data analytics—in other words, IT func-

tions bridged out of the control to another

system . Technology can connect to the

cloud, display key information visually via

mobile devices, synchronize machine data

with management and decision-oriented

dashboards and provide predictive mainte-

nance elements . These capabilities offer a lot

of flexibility to end-user customers—flexibil-

ity, which is vital, because every company’s

IoT needs are very specific and individual .

—Dave Cameron, director of sales, electric, drives & con-

trols, Bosch Rexroth, www .boschrexroth-us .com

REAL-TIME CONTROLPrecision motion is much simpler to achieve

today than it was just seven or eight years

ago . One reason for this is that controls

engineers have embraced real-time con-

trol systems and real-time fieldbuses such

as EtherCAT . This provides the ability to

retrieve actual and setpoint positions on

the fly without interrupting data through-

put, as can happen with other fieldbuses .

Advanced functionality, such as distributed

clocks, provides highly precise timestamps

on measured values and events that oc-

cur in the overall system . On the heels of

this movement, drive vendors and encoder

vendors have begun to standardize on the

same real-time fieldbuses . When using a

fieldbus that has the same precise time

base, external encoders can be used that

might deliver higher resolution than the

encoder already on the servo motor in the

application . Today, manufacturers have

increased the capabilities of servo encoders

to feature higher resolution, and, as a result,

drives are easier to configure to the refer-

ence external feedback . The precise veri-

fication of a position leads to much more

precise motion control overall .

IoT concepts have already entered the realm

of machine control, enabling access to larger

amounts of highly accurate data for analysis .

This is the biggest reason why IoT is now

being accepted into motion applications .

Motion-related data, such as axis torque or

velocity, can be stored for viewing in dash-



boards that help users to understand events

as they happen . This includes events that are

predicted and those that aren’t . Fortunately,

the high costs of third-party IoT hardware

and software can be eliminated in PC-based

control applications . PC control adds further

benefits through the use of open, proven

protocols for cloud communication such as

MQTT or AMQP . Accessing this data, wheth-

er locally or remotely through a secure,

cloud-based message broker, becomes very

easy with system-integrated solutions .

With all the different motion-control require-

ments on the equipment, do I mix and match

the best motor, stepper or servo for each

axis, or do I just use servos on every axis?

When you work with a motor vendor, they

will provide a number of viable options for

your application . However, your knowl-

edge of the exact system mechanics is far

greater than that of the vendor, so you

should also use a motion designer tool or

other sizing software that can be adjusted

to your application .

The cost and size of servo-motor technol-

ogy and drive systems are continually de-

creasing, enabling the use of servo motors

in more cost-sensitive applications . Power

stages that can handle capacitive and re-

generative energy have also helped to cut

costs . Stepper technology on the drive side

has improved dramatically, extending the

life of the motor and drive, while narrow-

ing the performance gap with some servo

solutions . Current controller optimization

facilitates performance increases, enabling

the use of steppers in motion applications

ADJUSTABLEFigure 3: Conveyor systems are often seen as more basic elements of a machine, but, if you need a vertical conveyor or a conveyor with a tensioner or counterbalance weight, software with the ability to easily make adjustments upfront in the design process is incredibly valuable.



without fixed speeds and repetitive motion

profiles . With the need for technological

advancement on one side and the need for

cost reductions on the other, a platform

that enables flexible hardware changes

is critical in cases where a stepper motor

needs to be switched out for a servo motor,

for example . The principle of abstraction

inherent to a PC-based control system fa-

cilitates reduced rework on the application

programming side, boosting flexibility and

code reusability .

Conveyor systems, for example, are often

seen as more basic elements of a machine .

However, if you need a vertical conveyor or

a conveyor with a tensioner or counterbal-

ance weight, software with the ability to

make adjustments upfront in the design pro-

cess is incredibly valuable . This can also help

you to determine where servos or steppers

are more appropriate on specific parts of a

machine, from simple to complex (Figure 3) .

Motion profiles are necessary to fully un-

derstand the motion requirements of the

application, specifically if the load or forces

on that load change as it moves or if a

complex motion profile needs to be creat-

ed for the application . The ability to enter

engineering equations for automatic calcu-

lation makes it easy to realize exact accel-

eration and torque requirements for the full

range of the application . This also helps to

verify that a chosen motor will work for the

application (Figure 4) .

Real-time fieldbuses, when paired with the

higher-end processors found in PC-based

controllers, enable efficient motion-system

MOTION PROFILEFigure 4: The ability to enter engineering equations for automatic calculation makes it easy to realize exact acceleration and torque requirements for the full range of the application.



design in a single, unified platform . Even if

this performance isn’t required for the appli-

cation, a system that can be synchronized

with an external controller is necessary to

avoid complex synchronization . Note that

some industrial Ethernet fieldbuses used for

motion require special switches and hubs,

which add cost and setup time . They can

also hinder OEMs from making their appli-

cations better than, or even simply keeping

up with, competing machine builders . Ether-

CAT is an example of a protocol that can be

used as the complete motion system bus

and does not require switches, managed or

otherwise . A final important aspect to con-

sider is industry trends . As more manufac-

turers of servo, stepper and vector drives

support fieldbuses like EtherCAT, it indi-

cates real traction and acceptance, enabling

integration by machine builders without

fear of obsolescence or nonconformance .

—Matt Prellwitz, drive technology application specialist,

Beckhoff Automation, www .beckhoffautomation .com

SEAMLESS INTEGRATIONWe receive frequent requests from OEMs

looking to integrate multiple disciplines of

control: PLCs for logic control; robot con-

trol for loading, unloading, assembly and

inspection; motion control for printing,

converting, assembly and packaging opera-

tions including winding, tension control and

registration; and CNC control for cutting,

drilling and other machining operations . Of

course, with so many complex operations

occurring in one machine, it’s critical that

all of these processes share data to ensure

that the equipment is running optimally .

This need for visibility is the origin of the

IoT-ready movement . We have a concept

we call e-F@ctory, which allows seamless

integration from ERP and MES down to indi-

vidual components within a machine on the

shop floor . We developed this technology

to optimize our own factory productivity

and efficiency, and now our customers can

benefit from this off-the-shelf IoT solution .

At the heart of e-F@ctory, the platform in-

tegrates PLC control, motion control, robot

control and CNC control all on one control-

ler . In your example, a motion CPU would

handle the tension control, unwind, wind

and conveyors, as well as the gantry and

automatic changeover adjustments . The

PLC CPU would manage the machine se-

quence, I/O and communications with other

equipment . The MES interface module al-

lows a direct connection to the MES’s data-

base without additional PCs or middleware .

This can be used for fetching jobs from the

server, downloading recipes, automatically

configuring product changeover adjust-

ments and reporting of production statistics

and traceability data, all without clipboards,

memory sticks or manual data entry .

We prefer to use servos and VFDs, rather

than stepper drives, for one simple reason:

data collection . For axes that require po-

sitioning, there is no substitute for a servo

drive and motor to ensure positioning

accuracy with closed-loop feedback . The



servo motor’s encoder position is continu-

ously monitored by the servo drive and the

motion controller . This, as well as other data

including velocity, torque, load inertia and

real-time energy consumption, is available

for monitoring and improving your process .

Stepper motors, on the other hand, are an

open-loop system . Position commands are

sent to the stepper drive, but, unless an

encoder is used, you can only hope that

the motor reached its target position and

has not been nudged out of position later .

The stepper drive and motor also consume

a considerable amount of energy . A small

investment in upgrading servo drives and

motors upfront gives you seamless visibility

into your process, reduced energy con-

sumption and motion precision and speed

that steppers can’t match .

Variable-frequency drives are a cost-

effective way of operating conveyors and

other velocity-control operations, with

significant energy savings compared to

motor starters . Variable-frequency drives

also provide extensive options for energy

saving and process monitoring, for an

easy IoT implementation .

You don’t have to choose between the

complexity of integrating multiple distrib-

uted controllers or trying to fit a complex

machine in a single CPU . You can mix PLC,

motion, robot and CNC CPUs on one con-

troller to get the best of both worlds: the

best tools for the job with the ease of a

single controller . These features translate

directly into selling points that differenti-

ate your equipment from your competitors .

Your system has the precise motion and IoT

features your sales department and custom-

ers want, with an easy-to-integrate solution

your engineers will appreciate .

—Bryan Knight, product manager & automa-

tion solutions team leader, Mitsubishi Electric,

us .mitsubishielectric .com/fa/en

ALL-SERVO SOLUTIONThere is no one answer that will fit all ma-

chines and in many cases different imple-

mentations of the same machine type will

call for different solutions given the specif-

ics of the implementation . The key factors

will be cost, performance, ease of connect-

ing various products together in the control

system and experience of the user with the

various technologies .

One solution mentioned, an all-servo solu-

tion, will have benefits for many applications .

• High-bandwidth precision motion results

in higher-quality product and through-

put in printing, converting and packag-

ing applications .

• Use of a common high-performance mo-

tion bus such as EtherCAT with software

in the machine controller reduces system

integration time .

• With the motion bus, the machine devel-

oper has the flexibility to integrate servo

drives, stepper drives, safety devices

and other third-party devices . Given the



popularity of a motion bus like Ether-

CAT, there are hundreds of automation

products that support this network that

could be integrated into the machine

control system .

• All the EtherCAT devices connect to

a central controller for a streamlined

machine-control system . If a decentral-

ized system is preferred, multiple con-

trollers can be used that communicate

with each other .

• The motion bus is structured for passing

information such as command and recipe

information to the devices or diagnos-

tic and status information to the central

controller .

• Servo drives can be connected together

to transfer power from a regenerating axis

to a generating axis, thus preventing the

need for external heat generating power-

regeneration resistors .

• Servo drives offer a variety of feedback

devices to optimized position accuracy,

cost goals and ruggedness level that the

application requires .

• In machines with multi-axis gantry, the

controller and servo-drive motion can co-

ordinate motion between multiple drives to

provide the dynamic motion compensation

needed for proper gantry motion control .

• Servo motors come in multiple types, al-

lowing optimization for each motor on the

machine: traditional tube-type motors to

direct-drive rotary or linear motors where

extremely high precision and dynamic

response are required .

The controller utilized in the system can

also integrate into the system non-servo

motors, such as steppers and VF ac driven

induction motors, where all the perfor-

mance of a servo is not required or where

cost is the main design factor or a high-

horsepower motor is needed . As mentioned,

the EtherCAT network makes integration

easier and facilitates the same wide range

of information that can be shared .

—Carroll Wontrop, senior system engineer, Kollmorgen,

www .kollmorgen .com

SIMULATED CONTROLIt is most logical to use an appropriate

type of motor to match the application re-

quirement, based on the intent of the ma-

chine part it is used with . Therefore, having

multiple types of motors, as well as sources

of power, is a common scenario . There is

a lot of literature available about central-

ized vs . distributed control that can guide

the reader on this decision . However, one

can easily understand the reader’s dilemma

in making the architectural decisions for

a fairly complex piece of equipment . This

is where simulation can play a big role .

Simulating the machine behavior, as well

as the control system, can be a great way

to assess various system architectures and

control system behavior . A case study from

Tetra Pak showcases the use of simulation

systems for machine design (www .contr-

oldesign .com/dspace) .

—Jace Allen, lead technical specialist—simulation & test

systems, dSpace, www .dspaceinc .com



SYNCHRONOUS SERVOGiven the cost point and functionality of

current synchronous servo motors and re-

spective control, we would suggest consid-

ering a design based on synchronous servo

motors wherever possible . The only excep-

tion would be where the power require-

ment is large, say 20 kW or greater; in these

cases, an asynchronous servo motor may fit

the application better . However, a drive sys-

tem that can be configured for either motor

type should always be considered .

A centralized motion control platform

seems to offer more benefits from program-

ming and support and ease of use . Only in

the case of a modular hardware require-

ment would a decentralized control system

be the preferred choice .

—William Gilbert, converting market manager, Siemens

Industry, www .siemens .com

Automation Controller

Ethernet Connectivity

Vision

Intelligent Drives

Custom Software

Advanced Control

Algorithms

Custom Motor Design

Intelligent Drives

Bring Your Machine To Life With Custom MotorsAerotech can partner with you to design a custom motor optimized for your specifi c application at a minimized price. In our concept machine above, the legs utilize both rotary and linear motion requiring special motor designs. For both the rotary and linear motion, we would customize the motor’s mechanical characteristics (torque/force, length, width, height) as well as the electrical characteristics (bus voltage, resistance, inductance, pole pitch, and current) required for the application. Aerotech can accommodate your custom motor requirements even for low-volume projects. If you have an application requiring minor customization, major customization, or a completely new motor design, contact Aerotech today.

Contact our Control Systems Group at 412-967-6839 or [email protected] to discuss your application today, or see go.aerotech.com/csg82

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When your industrial motor requirements move beyond a single-speed applica-

tion to a variable-speed application with adjustable acceleration and decelera-

tion, and possibly precision position or torque control, the motor and drive

need to team up for a winning solution .

The motor drives connect to and provide enhanced operation to dozens of different types

of motors . These include dc, ac, stepper and servo motors . There are definitions to be found

online along with the advantages and disadvantages of each type of motor . However, a big

thing to keep in mind is that many of the motors are designed for a specific application or

their applications are limited .

There are also many characteristics to know when it comes to motor selection . This includes

things such as when a dc motor’s speed is high, its torque is low and vise versa . Another

characteristic is that running an ac motor slower using a variable frequency drive (VFD) is

a common way to save energy when operating fans, pumps or similar devices . Another is

that the stepper motor typically has maximum torque at zero speed, and the servo motor is

known for its dynamic speed control and precision position and torque control .

Fortunately today automation vendors have a wide selection of motors and drives for just

about any application . If you need a motor and drive, get with a local industrial distributor

or motor manufacturer . Leveraging their knowledge is often the best option .



Invite the drives to join the motor teamThe best motor and drive for the application should go together like two peas in a pod .

By Dave Perkon, technical editor

ADD THE DRIVEWith the motor selected, a matching drive

is often required . All drives typically al-

low adjustment of minimum and maximum

speed, current (torque) limit and accelera-

tion and deceleration time .

In addition to these adjustments, the dc

drive converts ac power to dc power and

regulates the armature current and voltage

to control the torque and speed of the dc

motor . The nonregenerative dc drive oper-

ates the motor in one direction only and

requires reversing the armature leads to

change motor direction . The regenerative

dc drive can reverse the motor internally

and provide a regenerative breaking func-

tion . This is important in applications that

start and stop or change directions often .

The ac drive also converts ac power to

dc power but then inverts it back to a

controlled voltage and frequency that is

output to the ac motor . The pulse width

modulated (PWM) drive is the most com-

mon ac drive and most popular of all

drives . It works well for most industrial ap-

plications due to its performance, simple

design and low cost . It converts the ac

source to dc and then inverts the dc to

an approximation of a sine wave at the

desired Volts/frequency ratio . These PWM

ac drives operate common three-phase ac

induction motors for a low-maintenance

and low-cost design .

A higher-performance ac drive is a vector

drive . It also uses PWM but can individually

control the motor speed and torque . Encod-

ers can be added to ac drives closing the

loop for improved speed regulation . Adding

an encoder to a vector drive enables 100%

or more of the rated ac motor torque to be

available at zero speed, which is desirable

when holding a load in a crane application .

The most dynamic and precise motor and

drive applications include the stepper and

servo motor paired with the appropriate



The motor drives connect to and provide enhanced operation to dozens of different

types of motors .



drive . The stepper motor and drive provide

precise position or speed control modes

whether open or closed loop . The closed-

loop servo motor and drive add a torque

control mode .

While most drives are controlled using

analog, step and direction signals or the

drives built-in indexer function, many drives

now offer various communication methods .

Some only offer configuration and monitor-

ing via this communication link; other drives

provide real-time control, coordinated mo-

tion and safety functions integrated with

the controller .

Which motor do you use, and how do you

size it? That may be a question beyond the

basics, but before you contact the vendor,

be sure to have some application informa-

tion available .

The vendor will need to know about the ap-

plication and will ask for speed, torque and

inertia information . You’ll need to know how

fast you want to run the system . The iner-

tia needed can be difficult to calculate and

requires rotational mass and radius mea-

surements, gearbox information and me-

chanical linkage configuration . The vendor

is going to ask lots of questions and then

use a software package to calculate the in-

ertia . Other variables may include load, duty

cycle, environment and positional accuracy

requirements .

The speed, torque and inertia are important,

but a defined motion profile is, as well . If a

motor application must run a wide range

of speeds with a varying load, what motor

would work best? If you can provide the ap-

plication engineer the motion profile infor-

mation, you may find that an ac induction

motor is not the best option, since a perma-

nent magnet dc motor can be more efficient

over a wide range of speeds and loads .

How complex is your motor and drive

application? Are you an OEM where cost

matters most or possibly a custom machine

builder where high performance is king? In

either case, you will need to study up on the

basics because there are many motors and

drives available . And get with you motor or

motion-control vendors during the motor

and drive selection process . They will help

find the best technology, motor and drive

for the application and address require-

ments such as motor efficiency, safety,

performance and cost .

Starting and stopping a motor can be done with three common methods: a motor

starter, soft start or variable frequency drive (VFD) . As of late, the use of a VFD is

becoming more popular than ever due to its claimed efficiency benefits, but be sure

it is needed . And, once specified, it must be properly installed to ensure reliable operation .

To start, take a step back and be sure you need a VFD for the application, as many users

don’t realize real benefits . Do you need to vary the speed of the motor or change the

motor’s acceleration? If neither, a motor starter is simple and will work great . Just want

to soften the motor starts? Consider a soft starter . For all the above, a VFD may be the

best choice .

The VFD, often called an ac drive or inverter, takes a single- or three-phase signal and var-

ies the speed of a three-phase ac induction motor . This is its main benefit . Running a motor

more slowly can save significant energy, and speed changes may be useful to the applica-

tion . Another big benefit is adjustable acceleration and deceleration . Less acceleration can

soften the mechanical forces at motor start and reduce inrush current . The VFD also has

built-in overload protection and motor start/stop control functions .

The basics of variable frequency drive installationOnce a VFD is specified, pay attention to these installation tips to realize its benefits .

By Dave Perkon, technical editor



There are both physical and electrical

installation basics to be aware of when us-

ing a VFD . When mounting the VFD on a

back panel, be sure to check the specifica-

tions . It is common for multiple devices to

be installed in one location, but all VFDs

need proper air flow, so check the installa-

tion instructions carefully when laying out

a control panel . Mount the drives vertically .

Some drives can be mounted with no clear-

ance, but it’s common to have a minimum

side-to-side spacing of 50 mm or more and

to have vertical clearance above and below

the drive of 100 mm to 150 mm .

It’s not uncommon to hear about noise

problems in VFD applications . However,

proper shielding and grounding and the use

of filters or line reactors can help . If mul-

tiple VFDs are installed in a single location,

don’t daisy-chain the ground wire; it creates

ground loops . Connect each ground to a

single ground point, connected in parallel .

The line reactor can help to protect from

transient voltages and reduce harmonics to

or from the drive . Keeping the load-side—

output—wiring less than 75 ft between the

drive and motor, or using a load-side reac-

tor, can help to reduce the potential insulat-

ed-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) reflective

wave damage .

Electrically, proper run/stop control of

the VFD is important . Many manufactur-

ers do not recommend using contactors

or disconnect switches on the line or load

side of a VFD for run/stop control of the

ac drive and motor, except for emergency

situations . Opening a contactor at the line

or load side of a VFD while the motor is

running can cause failures in the inverter

section of the drive or reduce its life . Even

if it doesn’t cause failure, it can take sev-

eral seconds for a VFD to power on once

power is applied .

A VFD is typically controlled via start/stop

digital inputs and a speed-control signal,



Although a standard three-phase induction motor works with a VFD, a three-phase

inverter duty motor should be used .

using a 0-10 Vdc, 4-20 mA or potentiom-

eter analog input signal or a speed preset

programmed into the drive . However, a

proper risk assessment will likely show a

safe-stop function is required as well . This

functional safety capability, often called

safe torque off (STO), as defined by EN IEC

61800-5-2, is an option on many VFDs that

should be specified .

With any motor control circuit, proper

overcurrent and ground-fault protection

is required at the input of the device . A

typical VFD accepts single-phase volt-

age, but it is not intended for use with

single-phase motors . Although a standard

three-phase induction motor works with

a VFD, a three-phase inverter duty motor

should be used . The inverter duty motor

is more energy efficient when used with a

VFD . It is also not susceptible to overheat-

ing at low motor speeds and has more

low-speed torque compared to a standard

induction motor .

There are two basic types of VFDs: the

original scalar control type and the newer

vector control type . The scalar control

is open-loop using a voltage-frequency

ratio and although it provides great speed

regulation, ~0 .5%, it does not have a fast

response nor is it very precise . The vector

control can be open- or closed-loop and

uses current control of two vectors, torque

and magnetizing flux for more responsive

and precise control of the motor .

There are many more factors, features and

functions to consider when using a VFD,

so study the catalogs and manuals and

then get with your vendors . With constant-

torque or constant-speed applications,

such as conveyors, compressors or mixers,

there may be simpler options . However,

whether replacing a dc motor or varying

the speed and acceleration of your con-

veyor, fan, blower or pump, go with the

VFD option . It’s often the best choice, if

installed properly .



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Keys to specifying hydraulic power systemsHow to be fluid with the component choices that create powerful pressure and flow .

By Tom Stevic, contributing editor

When specifying a hydraulic power system, a careful analysis of the application

is required before selecting the various equipment . An open-loop hydraulic

power unit is used to supply fluid power to various hydraulic actuators such as

cylinders, rams and fixed-speed motors . Its pump typically runs at a constant speed produc-

ing a fixed fluid pressure to the system’s control valves . If no motion is demanded by the

valves and actuators, the fluid is returned to a holding tank .

When specifying the hydraulic power unit, the maximum working flows and pressures must

be defined before sizing components . The volume of fluid flow used in normal machine oper-

ation depends on of the number and types of cylinders, motors and transmissions in simulta-

neous operation at the required operational speed . The pressure is determined by calculating

the necessary force needed to perform the designed operations of each actuator . The fluid

flow necessary to meet system speed requirements must also be calculated . Many calculators

and formulas are available on the Internet and in books dedicated to the subject .

Several types of pumps may be considered . These pump types can range from simple

rotational gear pumps to more sophisticated bent axis pumps . The style of pump is





primarily determined by the required flow

and pressure . System actuators and the

desired operation of the actuators dictate

if a variable displacement device is re-

quired . The rotary gear pump style is the

most common type of pump in use . The

simple design leads to a rugged, cost-ef-

fective component that should offer many

years of trouble-free operation .

Pump mounting locations are most often

near the fluid reservoir . A top mounted

pump allows for easier maintenance access .

However, it also requires the pump to lift

the fluid with suction before pressurizing it

and may involve considerable labor to gain

access to the interior of the tank for clean-

ing purposes . Some alternative pump loca-

tions can be alongside the tank reservoir

where the pump inlet is below the minimum

fluid level and below the tank reservoir to

assure the pump is never starved for fluid .

ISO 4413 is the main industry standard de-

scribing best practices of design for hydrau-

lic systems . The standard defines several

roles for the reservoir (tank) . The tank must

dissipate the heat generated during normal

operations unless other temperature con-

trol methods are employed such as a heat

exchanger . Obviously, the tank should be

able to hold all of the system fluid under

normal system operation while maintaining

sufficient levels to avoid starving the pump .

There must be adequate room for ther-

mal expansion . The returning fluid should

be slowed to allow the release of trapped

air and for contaminates to settle . Some

method of separation between the incom-

ing fluid and the pump intake should be

provided, as with baffles or tank geography .

Some method of access for cleaning should

be made available .

A general rule of thumb used in sizing an

hydraulic reservoir is three to five times the

per-minute flow rate . Reservoir sizing can

also be greatly affected by system char-

acteristics and the type of actuators used .

An hydraulic elevator using a single action

cylinder needs a tank capable of hold-

A general rule of thumb used in sizing a hydraulic reservoir is three to five times

the per-minute flow rate .



ing nearly all of the system fluid when the

elevator car is at the lowest point of travel

without starving the pump when the car is

at the highest point .

A pressure relief valve is used to limit the

maximum system pressure by allowing the

pressurized fluid to return to the tank dur-

ing periods when the system is not using

the pump’s full volume of flow . When de-

signing the hydraulic system, size the pump

to the nearest maximum flow and pressure

required for proper operation . When the

pump is oversized, the pressure relief valve

will be in constant operation, wasting en-

ergy and creating heat .

The hydraulic filtration system should be in-

cluded as part of the power unit . When the

filter system is located on the pressure side

of the pump, it protects against contamina-

tion for all of the equipment downstream

from the pump . Filtration pore sizes can be

quite small—2 microns or smaller is not un-

common . Disadvantages of a pressure-side

filtration system are pressure drops across

the filtration system as the amount of

contaminants build up; filters and housings

must be capable of withstanding the maxi-

mum pressure produced by the pump; and

any contaminants are passed through the

pump before reaching the filter . Return-line

filtration keeps air and contaminants out of

the tank before reaching the pump . Return-

line filtration is subjected to lower pressures

than pressure-side . With either option, a

differential pressure sensor should monitor

the filter condition and alert personnel to

replace the filter element .

Hydraulic power units often offer additional

features such as a location to mount the

control valve stack and locations to add in-

strumentation . At the very least, a low-level

sight gauge and a system pressure gauge

should be installed . Additional instruction

may include a fluid level sight tube or an

electronic level gauging device . Electronic

pressure transducers allow data collection

and a quicker detection of pressure drops

or spikes . A temperature sensor can monitor

changes in system performance over time .

When specifying the hydraulic power unit, the maximum working flows and pressures

must be defined .

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Digital-printing technology has made huge gains in recent years, in terms of both

speed and flexibility . As a result, manufacturers of printing finishing systems have

faced challenges to match that growth with new innovation .

VITS International (www .vitsinternational .com), a Blauvelt, New York-based global supplier

of variable repeat sheeting and finishing systems for the printing, packaging, digital and

converting industries, recognized that the digital-printing market needed industrial-strength

finishing systems that could deliver the speed, flexibility and ultra-precise registration con-

trol to sustain commercial printing production rates . To meet that need, VITS developed

the Sprint Variable Data Finishing System, created with a complete, state-of-the-art electric

drive and control platform from Bosch Rexroth .

DIGITAL PRINTING DRIVES INNOVATIONSimilar to web offset printing, digital inkjet printers are capable of high-speed web-fed

output with speeds reaching near-commercial rates of 700 to 1,000 ft/min (FPM) . Howev-

er, digital printing supports variable data printing: it can dynamically vary the content be-

ing produced—not just the number of pages for a given product, but variable imaging and

significant variations in page dimensions . While this provides new abilities for customiza-



Variable data finishing system keeps pace with digital-printing technologySprint Variable Data Finishing System transforms variable print material to finished product at 1,500 ft/min .

By Deirdre Ryder, VITS International



tion, it vastly complicates how the printed

web roll is finished . Finishing systems need

to be able to cut, collate and assemble the

pages into a final readable piece in the

most logical order .

The complexity—high speeds plus variable

data printing—was viewed as an important

opportunity for VITS . We decided to take a

leading role in developing robust, industrial-

strength finishing systems that have the

technical capacity, speed and sophistication

to support both offline and inline finishing

with the highest quality .

SPRINT SYSTEM SUPPORTS IN-LINE AND OFF-LINE FINISHINGThe Sprint Variable Data Finishing System

transforms variable print material to fin-

ished product at production rates up to

1,500 FPM . It utilizes patented Clear Chan-

nel registration control technology to en-

able cutting thousands of pages per hour

while keeping ultra-precise page registra-

tion not previously possible with compa-

rable finishing systems .

“Our printing customers wanted to be able

to produce much larger products at much

faster rates of speed,” says Kim Markovich,

VITS International director of product ap-

plications and regional sales and marketing

manager . “Particularly for the direct-mail

marketplace, being able to finish multiple

webs and multiple ribbons and accom-

plish perfect register control meant that

our printing customers could take on more

work and be more productive .”

We developed the Sprint system to sup-

port two variations: in-line systems, which

receive and finish a single web coming

directly from the digital printer, and off-

line multi-web finishing, which enables the

processing of multiple webs into a single

finished signature or book (Figure 1) .

The team at VITS knew that the controls and

drive technology it chose for the Sprint sys-

tem must have the highest levels of versatil-

ity and sophistication—one of the key rea-

sons the team chose Rexroth . “As we looked

at the challenges, we came to the conclusion

that only Bosch Rexroth would be able to

provide the precise control technology we

needed,” says John Salamone, director of

new product development for VITS .

ULTRA-PRECISE MULTI-WEB REGISTRATION CONTROLThe Sprint Finishing System consists of

modular, independently driven compo-

nents controlled by a central Rexroth

IndraMotion MLC motion control platform .

The in-line Sprint system configuration

typically has 10 to 12 driven axes, while the

more advanced multi-web offline version

can have up to 30 driven axes .

Each Sprint module performs specific

functions to convert a printed web into

a completed book or direct mail piece,



and each utilizes a specific set of Rexroth

IndraDrive servo drives and proven Indra-

Dyn servo motors .

In the off-line multi-web system, multiple

paper rolls are mounted on register splic-

ers that feed the web continuously to the

VITS automatic constant-tension infeed .

The infeed delivers precise gain/tension

control to the web .

The web then passes through an angle bar

system that slits it in half and repositions

one half over the other, before travelling to

a ribbon-gathering station and then over a

folder element to fold the ribbons in half .

Once the fold is complete, the web trav-

els through a shear-slitting module where

the folded web can be trimmed, and

then into the variable data rotary cutter

that cuts each page to size and collates/

stacks the finished product for the next

process, such as final binding or saddle

stitching (Figure 2) .

Maintaining absolute registration control of

multiple webs, so that every page in every

signature is cut to exactly the same dimen-

sion, was one of the most significant techni-

cal hurdles the team faced .

“Nothing is ever printed perfectly—the

length of print can vary by plus or minus

ten-thousandths of an inch from page to

page,” says Salamone . “That doesn’t sound

FINISHINGFigure 1: The VITS variable data multi-web finishing system supports two variations: in-line systems, which receive and finish a single web coming directly from the digital printer, and off-line multi-web finishing, which enables the processing of multiple webs into a single finished signature or book



like much, but after a hundred pages the

registration can be off significantly .”

VITS enlisted Bruce Parks of Parks Consult-

ing International (www .parksconsulting .net),

a systems integrator with extensive experi-

ence using Rexroth printing system con-

trols, to help develop the Sprint automation

solution . “The Rexroth drives have a large

amount of intelligence built in,” says Parks .

“So we use the drives to maintain registra-

tion on the web in a dynamic fashion, which

then frees up the processing power of the

central IndraMotion MLC controller .”

All drives maintain synchronization with a

virtual master . Tension zones are created

between individual drives in each module

to maintain optimal tension when varia-

tions occur as webs merge, split and are

cut . Groups of drives are also created, al-

lowing adjustments to be made as a group

to bring the web into proper register with

the virtual master .

The team used the industry-specific Indra-

Motion for Printing version of Rexroth’s

IndraMotion MLC system as the automation

platform, featuring IEC 61131-compliant mo-

tion-logic controls and PLCopen function

blocks along with extensive software librar-

ies for printing and converting functions .

“IndraMotion for Printing provides engi-

STITCHINGFigure 2: Once the fold is complete, the web travels through a shear-slitting module where the folded web can be trimmed, and then into the variable data rotary cutter that cuts each page to size and col-lates/stacks the finished product for the next process, such as final binding or saddle stitching.



neering tools that work right out of the

box to accomplish most of the web han-

dling tasks,” says Parks . “We then used

Rexroth’s PLCopen function blocks as the

starting point to build the special cam-

ming profiles and functions we needed for

the proprietary VITS Clear Channel regis-

tration capability .”

ROTARY CUTTING CHIP CONTROLThe other major challenge for the Sprint

team was having a rotary cutter that could

handle variable data—infinitely variable

image sizes ranging from 5 to 25 inches—

and be configured to cut different-width

chips—the blank space between pages on

the web roll—all with the push of a button,

rather than a time-consuming changeover .

In the rotary-cutter module, two knives cut

the chip out; the knives are separated by

the width of the chip, and the cutting needs

to be synchronized with the speed of the

web through the system . “Our camming

process allows us to cut variable-size prod-

ucts with multiple knives and still maintain

chip size because we always synchronize

with the web speed through the cutting

zone,” Salamone says .

The Clear Channel register control provides

faster size changes, as well as cut toler-

ances never before provided by standard

finishing systems, which is a competitive

advantage for both VITS International and

its customers that choose the system .

COLLABORATION CHEMISTRYThis is the first system we’ve produced

using a complete Bosch Rexroth drive and

control platform—a decision that was made

after a thorough evaluation .

We had a great relationship with our pre-

vious supplier who was a close business

partner and was always there to work

through any issues . With Bosch Rexroth,

we found similar values and commitment .

More importantly, it was the technology

that allowed us to develop our equipment

much faster, with world-class accuracy that

none of our competitors have . We now

have Rexroth-equipped machines located

all around the world . Their performance and

reliability is good; they are working flaw-

lessly .

It has turned out to be the best decision

for our growth and our future to work with

Rexroth . We could not imagine doing what

we are doing now without their technology

and their capabilities . With a lot of input

from our team and the right technology,

we were able to solve the challenges we

encountered . It took all three partners—

Bosch Rexroth, VITS International and Parks

Consulting International—to go from ideas

to working solutions .

Deirdre Ryder is president and CEO of VITS

International in Blauvelt, New York . Contact

her at deirdrer@vitsinternational .com .

The S6 platform is built for flexibility and demanding applications. Some features include:

• 0.75...5.5kW power range• Worldwide voltage input: 185 - 550VAC• On-board EtherCAT slave (Profinet and Powerlink optional)• On-board SIL3 Safe-Torque-Off• Integrated brake supply: 2Amps @24 VDC• Dual channel, Universal encoder connection• Operates induction, servo, torque, & linear motors

KEB’s S6 Servo Drive comes with everything on board

5100 Valley Industrial Blvd. S Shakopee, MN | 952.224.1400 | [email protected] | kebblog.com/s6-servo-drive

SIL3 SafeTorqueOff

VERSATILE CONTROL IN A COMPACT FORM

50mm

http://kebblog.com/s6-servo-drive

STATE OF TECHNOLOGY REPORT Motors, Drives and Motion

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