MOTION SYSTEM TRENDS
IoT, programmability top encoder trends W
hat key trends are driving the encoder market? We put the question to several of the top encoder manufacturers to get their perspective on trends in the encoder industry as well as how developments in other industries are impacting their business. Here’s what they told us.
HEIDENHAIN’s new LC 201 absolute linear scale is a single-section METALLUR tape encoder suited for use in linear motor applications that may be required to reach high acceleration levels within the linear drive systems. They are well suited in the machine tool and aerospace machining sectors, but will also work in applications for electronics, automation, medical technology and metrology industries.
WITH RESPECT TO THE IOT AND IIOT, WHAT KINDS OF CAPABILITIES DO YOUR COMPONENTS OR ENGINEERED DESIGNS INCORPORATE TO SUPPORT FUNCTIONS RELATED TO FOG COMPUTING ON LOCAL NETWORKS? Jonathan Dougherty | Product Specialist • HEIDENHAIN: With the emergence of IoT in the industrial world, more companies are looking to receive more information from encoders than just the position. Things like environmental information, diagnostic data, and time in motion analysis can all provide customers with valuable information that they were not able to access before. For HEIDENHAIN, our main step into this world has been through our Leine & Linde brand encoders. With these devices, we have integrated a full-service Advanced Diagnostic System (ADS) which provides diagnostic and condition monitoring information back to the control through Ethernet communication. With this information, users are able to view and analyze the aspects of the encoder that affect its performance. They also have the ability to more accurately predict a potential encoder failure, which allows them to practice more proactive maintenance procedures to avoid unnecessary downtime. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IN TIME-SENSITIVE NETWORKING (TSN) AND ITS APPLICATION IN MOTION APPLICATIONS. Jonathan Dougherty • HEIDENHAIN Ethernet has established itself in industrial automation technology, and is widely accepted. However, there is one area of applications where standard Ethernet has not been able to gain inroads; network communication with real-time requirements.
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TSN tries to respond to this by providing clocked endto-end transmission with real-time requirements , while scheduling and traffic-shaping to make a shared transmission of communication streams with different priority levels possible in “real-time”. However, from a competent level, the big question is “What does real-time mean?” Currently the use of TSN instead of fieldbus has been tested to 1 msec cycle time at 100 nsec jitter, which is perfectly acceptable for diagnostic information but not quite enough for dynamic information used in position and speed loops. However, there are organizations and company partnerships that are looking to increase the viability of TSN (possibly partnered with OPC UA) for component level communication. This is something certainly to monitor and take part in to see what the future holds for TSN on the component level. HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY ENSURE INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN ITS OFFERINGS AND PRODUCT FAMILIES? Christian Fell • POSITAL FRABA An important link in the interoperability chain is the choice of communications protocols. Our company provides support for numerous communications interfaces, including the PROFIBUS and CANopen family of fieldbus protocols (including CAN-based protocols like DeviceNET and SAE J1939). For large factory systems, we offer industrial Ethernet communications such as EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT and PROFINET, all of which are suitable for real-time controls. For servomotors or feedback-controlled stepper motors, we are enthusiastic about the SSI and BiSS communications systems. motioncontroltips.com | designworldonline.com
3/12/19 8:41 AM
