Machine Builder (OEM) Solutions

Machine Builder (OEM) Solutions

What Matters

Mechatronics Matters

As machine builders continue to tap the benefits offered by today's advanced automation, they are looking for ways to more effectively link the mechanical and control worlds. One approach that continues to gain momentum is mechatronics — the combination of mechanical and electrical engineering. The fundamental attraction behind this design approach is that it addresses the key desires of machine builders, including the need for greater innovation, more optimized performance, faster time to market and reduced business risk.

Mechatronics: It's About Time

In traditional machine building, individual mechanical, control and electrical design teams work independently to produce separate pieces of the overall machine. To optimize the available mix of technologies, there needs to be a synergistic blend between the different engineering disciplines. This is precisely what mechatronics aims to deliver.

With an interdisciplinary approach, machine builders bring engineering processes closer together, which improves communication and expands the available knowledge base. Designers can more easily address configuration and integration issues up front and minimize the chance of encountering problems in subsequent stages. The results of this concurrent engineering approach are lower design and development costs, expanded functionality and a more robust, balanced design.

New software tools help machine builders reap the full benefits of mechatronics by making it faster and easier to select, size and optimize motion control systems. With Motion Analyzer software from Rockwell Automation, for example, engineers simply enter information about the load and how it needs to be moved, and the software selects a suitable motor-drive combination. From a pull-down menu, designers can then select an actuator, for instance, without having to figure out complex calculations or look up specifications in the manufacturer's data sheets.

The software also provides performance and simulation analysis that helps engineers more effectively investigate machine behavior and select a mechanical design — along with the optimum controls and software — that will maximize machine performance.

These simulation tools not only help reduce design time, but also help minimize errors that are typically corrected much later in the development process. More importantly, the improved reliability, optimized performance and faster time to market that mechatronics affords means more satisfied customers and a more favorable bottom line.

Product & Service Highlights

Motion Analyzer

MotionAnalyzer software from Rockwell Automation helps minimize design risk and speed time to market by providing tools that analyze design alternatives for motion control applications. In addition to its sizing, selection, optimization and simulation capabilities,Motion Analyzer offers other performance evaluation features including ratio, torque and tolerance analysis.

• Ratio analysis helps mechanical design engineers make a mechatronic selection of gearboxes, timing belts and ball screws. It provides an "at-a-glance" view of any necessary trade-offs and guides the user to an optimized solution.
• Torque analysis provides a "sanity" check by showing where the torque produced by the motor is consumed. As design engineers generally focus on how to move the load, they may factor in transmission losses, but rarely cross-reference with load losses. Torque analysis solves this issue by providing rapid "what if " analysis. If the majority of the torque is being used to move the load, the design is sound. If over 75 percent is being lost in the transmission, it's back to the drawing board.
• Tolerance analysis provides application data, such as move time,mass, losses and ambient temperature, to be plotted against "health parameters" for the system. This helps engineers better determine the limits of the machine. The ability to see which parameter hits 100 percent tells the designer the system limit—and the limiting factor. The software provides the means to rapidly analyze the system's tolerance to changes and alerts the engineer to any marginal design issues.
• Simulation analysis helps OEMs determine machine performance criteria such as parts-per-minute, dynamic stability, accuracy, and settling time, and it gives design engineers the most realistic prediction of system performance short of building a prototype. System simulation takes into account how a Logix controller, working in conjunction with Kinetix integrated motion (consisting of servo drives, servomotors and actuators) will perform for particular load requirements. It also looks at mechanical considerations such as compliance between motor and load, and backlash. This approach helps reduce the risk associated with adopting new designs, and speeds up the iterative discovery phase, decreasing design-to-ship time.

MP-Series Integrated Linear Stages

The designing, building and integration of linear stage actuators can be complex, time consuming and expensive for OEMs. The MP-Series™ Integrated Linear Stages address this issue by reducing the number of components and assembly labor time compared to traditional linear stage actuators. Because the MP-Series Integrated Linear Stages are available in both ballscrew and direct drive linear motor versions,machine designers can now choose a linear stage based purely on desired performance and not worry about the internal technology.

Add-On Instructions

Rockwell Software® RSLogix™ 5000 Version 16 includes reusable code objects called Add-On Instructions (AOI). Add-On Instructions allow you to encapsulate your most commonly used logic as sets of reusable instructions. The code is encapsulated into pre-validated modules for easy reuse. You can then create standardized libraries that can help reduce project development time and improve consistency to reduce equipment startup and training expense.When you apply a parameter change, changes to the instruction code will automatically be reflected throughout the project, and a change history will indicate who originally created the instruction and who made the last change.