Effective motion control is fundamental to almost any industrial machinery or processing operation. Users must determine the type of drive and motor needed to power and control a specific application, generally selecting between VFD and servo motors and drives. But as this article from Alec Grainger in Machine Design points out, there’s another critical decision – whether to acquire an already integrated motion control system, or to bring together a system of components from various sources.
Sometimes the promised capability of an individual component can lead a system designer to choose an assemble-your-own solution, but as Alec points out, that can be a foolhardy choice in the long run. He says, “Motion control users aim to increase throughput and improve yield. While sometimes one product or another can help achieve those improvements, all that progress can quickly be lost if a system stops working. This is why many experienced end-users prefer a familiar and reliable integrated solution from a single vendor over an unfamiliar vendor offering only components.” Alec then goes on to describe the pros and cons of both approaches, citing performance issues and the availability of advanced features. Read the entire article here to learn more about the optimum approached to motion control.
Do you use fully integrated motion control systems or assemble your own components? Why?
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