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Motion control goes modular
Integration brings motion control into the mainstream
By David Bak, Editor-in-Chief, Global Design News -- Design News, May 20, 2002
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For VFFS control, Kinetix offers ControlLogix with embedded motion, Allen-Bradley drives and motors, and SERCOS interface. For a complete description, plus animation, visit www.ab.com/motion/product_apps/vffs/vffs.html. |
Conveying, packaging, bottling, labeling. These applications represent the high-performance segment of the motion control market—that part of the market where high speed, high accuracy, and system configuration flexibility are paramount. Meeting such objectives requires ever tighter integration between motion and sequential control.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that two of the world's biggest suppliers to the motion control market have recently announced new strategies for integrated motion control. Presented as complete motion solutions, Kinetix™ from Rockwell Automation and "Simotion", from Siemens Automation & Drives (see side story), are designed to eliminate the "mix-and-match" factor of traditional motion control systems. That means no time-critical interfaces be-tween components, and no associated programming or diagnostics.
In the past, machine builders have pursued a variety of strategies in the effort to better integrate sequential control and motion control, explains Brian Casey, director of global marketing for industrial motion control, Rockwell Automation. Examples include communication networks that may or may not have sufficient bandwidth; discrete I/O connections through the sequential controller and motion controller; and highly customized software working in a soft PLC or soft controller environment, or a PC card-based motion controller environment.
"Regardless of the approach," says Casey, "the system designer still ends up with completely different programming environments, completely separate databases, and a very difficult time tying a snapshot of the entire machine state into a larger architecture." With Kinetix, he claims, "the motion and sequential databases are one-in-the-same, and information access between the two is instantaneous."
For example, in a vertical form, fill, and seal (VFFS) application, Kinetix allows users to link, via fiber optic cable, a 1756-M08SE SERCOS Interface™ Motion Module to the multiple Ultra3000 SERCOS Servo Drives on-the-feed servo axis and one on-the-crimp servo axis. MP-Series Low Inertia Motors reside on both axes due to the high acceleration and deceleration of machine mechanics, as well as their compact size. Machine operators can use PanelView connected to the ControlLogix™ platform via EtherNet to change recipe information and monitor actual machine characteristics.
Furthermore, with the Kinetix integrated motion solution, users receive complete motion configuration and programming within a single automation control programming package using Rockwell Software's RSLogix™ 5000 software. This, says Casey, eliminates the need to purchase and maintain separate motion, sequential, and drive programming tools. Built-in motion instructions also eliminate the need to wire and coordinate two separate programs on different controllers, simplifying application programming and enhancing system performance. Other Kinetix benefits include:
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Expansion flexibility. Modular memory, networking, and a multiprocessor architecture allow users to size the controller to specific application requirements.
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Fast installation. Compared with an analog terminal block, Kinetix uses a fiber optic SERCOS interface connection between drives and controller resulting in fewer axis module cards and no external breakout boards to mount. Two fiber-optic connections can replace 18 discrete wires per drive, eliminating 36 terminations per axis.
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Easy troubleshooting. Detailed drive and motor status information is available in RSLogix 5000 and the ControlLogix application program. Graphical trending and remote diagnostic capability also facilitate troubleshooting.
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High performance. A high-resolution feedback option in the controller improves positioning accuracy and reduces motion cycle time. An absolute feedback option eliminates time-consuming homing cycles. Digital commands replace range-limited analog signals, while the integrated controller design eliminates network delays and synchronization logic.
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Open operation. An IEC1131-based programming environment, support for the emerging PLV open standard for motion control function, and the SERCOS interface enhance openness.
"The foundation of Kinetix," Casey summarizes, "was a recognition that most machines on the market offer some sort of built-in sequential control along with motion control. Typically, the more axes of motion control, the more complex the sequential control that goes along with it. Because Rockwell was in the position of having mastery of both of those application competencies, Kinetix became an effective effort on our part to link the two together and connect the control of both sides into a common environment."
The result: complete solutions for industry involving all elements of integrated motion. The greater the integration between the PLC side of the equation and the motion side, the greater value of Kinetix.
Go to www.globaldn-info.com or circle the number on the Reader Service Card:
Kinetix from Rockwell Automation, visit www.ab.com/motion or Enter 548
Flexible packaging for filter bags
Flexible packaging for filter bags
Bologna, Italy—Pierantonio Ragazzini, innovation technology manager at IMA Srl, Tea & Coffee Div., estimates that two-thirds of the world's production of filter bags passes through his company's packaging machines. That's about 2,000 IMA tea or coffee bag machines in 67 countries, he figures. To increase market share further, Ragazzini is looking to boost customer satisfaction through development of more flexible packaging machines.
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Compact servo drive systems, like the IMA packaging machine for beverage bags, can be controlled entirely by Simotion. The Simotion controller processes all I/O to control the servo drive motions, Process signals are linked through central peripherals in the controller's rack and through distributed peripherals on Profibus DP. Both the Simotion application and the servo drives work in a synchronized cycle. |
Working with Siemens Automation and Drives, IMA has recently integrated the Simotion PC-based controller (See Global Design News, February 2002, page 21, or visit this story at www.globaldn.com) into the company's latest generation of bag machines for instant coffee. "Our primary goal," Ragazzini explains, "was to completely integrate the entire control logic, the motion control functions, and the HMI (human machine interface) into the same hardware and software platform. We gave the Siemens Simotion development team numerous suggestions, and they incorporated most of them into the ultimate product."
The PC-based Simotion controller functions as the packaging machine's central "brain," and all critical motion control functions are completely integrated into the controller. "It is a good example of the goal of Simotion," says Georg Trummer, Simotion project leader at Siemens A & D. "To improve performance over the classical PLC + axis control architecture, simplify wiring, and ease software development, Simotion merges motion control with the other disciplines required in IMA's packaging machine."
Three components, Trummer explains, make this possible:
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A single engineering system that integrates all tasks involving motion control, PLC, and technology. This system also provides the required tools for programming concurring with IEC 61131-3, parameterization, testing, commissioning, and diagnosis. The main aspects for IMA to put on Simotion were the integration of all tasks in one single engineering system and the concurring with IEC 61131-3 of the programming languages. This enables IMA to reuse well-tried and proven programs to reduce the development expenditure and the easy integration of existing function blocks, e.g., the PID controller for winding up the film.
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Runtime software modules that are scalable, flexible, and extendable. Designed in several layers, the modules adapt the system's overall functionality to the machine requirements. These characteristics of Simotion complied with IMA's machine concept to replace mechanical components such as gearings, cam discs, and cam controllers by electronic components. Each of these components is represented within Simotion by a technology object. The advantage, for example, is that selecting another gear ratio only means changing a system variable in the user program. Also, cam discs can be recalculated while the system is running.
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Various hardware platforms—an industrial PC, a controller, drive, or proprietary hardware—are available to fit a specific machine. Both the application developed by means of the engineering system, and the associated runtime software modules, can be run on any platform. IMA chose the PC-based platform to integrate the standard human machine interface developed by themselves on the same device as the motion control, technology and PLC functionality. The predecessor machine needed its own PC.
The programming interface (IEC 1131-3) gives users program access to the entire system functionality. Logic or motion control commands, special technological functions, or standard applications can all be called within the same program and in the same programming language.
Trummer adds that separate software modules extend Simotion functionality. IMA's packaging machine, for example, utilizes the "cam" package for cam disc synchronization. "The simplicity with which we were able to utilize the high performance of the electronic cams without incurring the typical disadvantages," reports Sergio Cicognani, manager of electrical automation at IMA's Coffee & Beverage Div., "proved to be one of Simotion's most important technical benefits." Other Simotion software modules for extending functionality include a "position" and "gear" package. Temperature and pressure control are also planned, Trummer says.
Following the successful development of the new generation packaging machine, IMA's R&D team has given the green light for the use of Simotion-based architecture in other packaging systems. "Simotion presents us with an excellent opportunity to introduce a new system architecture that takes into account the specific needs of the packaging industry," concludes Ragazzini.
Simotion from Siemens A&D, visit www.siemens.de/simotion or Enter 549
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