Company W manufactures and sells various machine tools. The company has recently been working on developing a new "laser processing machine." This next-generation model is positioned as a strategic product to expand market share, and the development team was instructed to set the primary goal of being competitive with overseas rival manufacturers in terms of both quality and cost. Mr. R from the Development and Design Department at Company W said the following.
"To reduce costs, we reviewed the specifications of the entire device and considered replacing the servo system with Stepping Systems. However, when we tested it with a prototype, we found that the processing quality had dropped significantly. Because Stepping Systems is an 'open loop system' with no feedback signal from the motor, we were unable to detect errors caused by sudden loss of synchronization of the motor," said Mr. R.
"Next, we thought that a closed-loop Stepping Systems with an encoder would reduce vibration and maintain a certain level of machining precision. However, there was an issue with position deviation, or in other words, delays in tracking command pulses, and we were unable to achieve the same machining quality as with conventional servo systems." (Mr. R)
Mr. R was concerned about how to achieve better performance than foreign products while keeping costs down.
While he was troubled, Mr. R visited an industrial equipment exhibition, where he became interested in SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's extensive lineup and consulted with the booth staff about the problems his company was having with its laser processing machines.
After listening to Mr. R's detailed explanation of the issues, the SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. representative proposed the "SANMOTION Model No.PB ( Closed Loop ) DC power input 4-axis integrated driver."
The "SANMOTION Model No.PB ( Closed Loop ) DC power input 4-axis integrated driver" is equipped with a "deviation-less closed-loop control function." By improving the tracking ability for position commands, the synchronization accuracy between axes is improved, resulting in a smoother trajectory.
Mr. R was interested in this proposal and immediately obtained an evaluation sample.
"After testing it in-house, we found that there was no roughness in the cutting cross-section, which we had been concerned about, and we were able to obtain a smooth curve. We also found that the machining quality could be maintained with a closed-loop Stepping Systems, which resolved the issue of replacing the servo system," said Mr. R.
"In addition, because one driver can control four-axis motors, we were able to reduce space and wires compared to a system that had a driver built into each axis. We were able to develop a low-cost, high-performance laser processing machine that easily met our initial targets." (Mr. R)
A few months later, W Company finally released a new model of laser processing machine.
"We were able to create a product that is sufficiently competitive with overseas rival manufacturers, which has been well received by customers around the world and has led to large orders. With this product as the core, we intend to continue strengthening our sales in the global market.
Above all, we are extremely grateful for SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's ability to provide optimal solutions after fully understanding our company's issues. We look forward to consulting with them on various matters in the future." (Mr. R)
For more information about stepping motors, please see "What is a stepping motor? An explanation of its structure, types, usage (drive system and control method), advantages and features."
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