Motion Controller Examples | 093 | Small, space-saving EtherCAT compatible! Realizes high-precision positioning control in a compact size.

Problem

In recent years, the automation of manufacturing processes has progressed in a wide range of fields, from automobiles to smartphones. In the industrial equipment industry, industrial networks have evolved to control operations with high precision and in real time. In particular, EtherCAT, an open network, has been adopted by major automobile and semiconductor manufacturers, and is now used in many production lines.

I want to develop a new device that supports EtherCAT.

The market for sealing machines, automatic application devices that apply adhesives and sealants in automated manufacturing lines, is also expanding around the world. F Company, which manufactures and sells sealing machines, has now decided to develop a new model of sealing machine that is compatible with EtherCAT. Mr. H of the System Development Department at F Company says the following.
"As EtherCAT has been adopted by major manufacturers, more and more of the equipment in production lines is now compatible with EtherCAT. We decided to look for an EtherCAT-compatible Motion Controller to improve compatibility with other equipment in our production lines."

I want to make the device smaller and more space-saving.

Another challenge for the new equipment was to make it compact and space-saving.
"With current PLCs, you need to add a pulse train unit and driver each time you add another motor axis. Adding more units also increases the number of wires, which requires more space in the switchboard to house them. This equipment configuration was a bottleneck in our efforts to make the device more compact," said Mr. H.

Want to improve cycle time?

Furthermore, the new equipment was required to be faster than the previous model in order to improve cycle time. The role of a sealing machine is to efficiently apply a set amount of adhesive to a set position. The objects to be applied are not only straight lines, but also a mixture of curves such as arcs. For this reason, it was necessary to draw an accurate trajectory by adjusting the positions and speeds of multiple motors.
Mr. H began searching for an EtherCAT-compatible Motion Controller that could achieve trajectory control, but he was unable to find Motion Controller that met his requirements and reached a dead end.

assignment

We want to develop new EtherCAT-compatible devices to enhance IoT functionality.
We want to make our equipment smaller and more space-saving.
You want to improve your cycle time.

Solution

"SANMOTION C S100" Motion Controller that realizes trajectory control with EtherCAT

Searching for a solution, Mr. H consulted with a SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. sales representative who was visiting F regularly for another reason. The sales representative listened to the details of the current issues and system requirements, and later proposed Motion Controller" SANMOTION C CS100."

"Motion Controller SANMOTION C S100 supports the cyclic position control mode of the EtherCAT specification, and can achieve highly accurate trajectory operation by commanding the position of each axis at a communication cycle of 2/1000 seconds. Other companies' EtherCAT controllers use a profile position control mode that specifies the coordinates and speed of the target position, so it is not possible to control the trajectory during positioning. With the SANMOTION C S100, we can expect to improve cycle times while maintaining the operating accuracy of the sealing machine. In addition, since it is equipped with a web server function that can monitor the operating status and read and write program variables using a general-purpose browser on a PC, we thought that it would be easy to deploy a system that supports IoT (*2)." (Mr. H)

Reduces control device space to 1/3

Furthermore, we received a proposal to save space by using Motion Controller" SANMOTION C C S100" and a multi-axis system. "Apparently, there is a case where the control equipment space has been minimized by combining the industry's smallest Motion Controller, "SANMOTION C S100," with the multi-axis closed-loop Stepping Systems, "SANMOTION Model No.PB ( Closed Loop ) "
With previous equipment, three motors were controlled by three drivers, but with SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's multi-axis closed-loop Stepping Systems, SANMOTION Model No.PB ( Closed Loop ), three motors can be controlled by one driver. With EtherCAT, devices can be connected with just one cable, which significantly reduces the space required for cable wiring. As a result, we expect to be able to minimize the space required for control equipment to one-third that of previous equipment." (Mr. H)

With the support of SANYO DENKI CO., LTD., Mr. H immediately incorporated Motion Controller" SANMOTION C CS100" into the prototype and began evaluation.
"While supporting EtherCAT, we were able to achieve significant space savings and shorten the cycle time while maintaining the accuracy of adhesive application. Furthermore, the reduced wiring labor has also significantly reduced maintenance labor. We have received high praise from our customers, and we are very grateful to SANYO DENKI CO., LTD.." (Mr. H)

(*1) Model number: In case of SMC100. Compared to Motion Controller with built-in digital I/O that can handle sequence, motion and robot control in one unit. According to our research as of October 10, 2018.
(*2) Internet of things: A system in which all kinds of things are connected to a network and mutually controlled by exchanging information.

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."

effect

Realization of EtherCAT compatible motion control.
By adopting the industry's smallest (*1) Motion Controller, the control equipment space has been minimized to one-third.
Cycle time is improved by implementing trajectory control.

release date: 2019-04-03 00:00