Supplier Page - Omron Yaskawa Motion Control

www.omron.co.uk
www.yaskawa.co.uk

Automation's role in Production Process improvement

It's topical to learn of manufacturing's need to be lean and to have the flexibility to be able to respond to ever changing market demands. This places demands on production processes to have unified communication mediums, and for respective processes to be precisely in tune with each other for optimum efficiency. The benefits of multiple-axis continuous path control using a high-speed bus link introduces Omron's CSZW-MCH as a good example of precision and harmony when used in combination with a Mechatrolink II high-speed field bus.

The progress of this automation direction also has a harmonious flair to it with the recent announcement of Omron's joint venture with Yaskawa. In fact both of these companies have been closely working together for over a decade.

Omron Yaskawa Motion Control - the logical partnership

For 70 years Omron has been a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced industrial automation products and supplier of application expertise. The company is a major player in machine automation through its smart technologies and its complete portfolio of integrated products. It has over 50 regional offices in 18 European countries, with an extensive, competent network that makes Omron one of the most customer-oriented companies around.Like Omron, Yaskawa Electric Corporation has always provided leading-edge technologies in the fields of electrical motors and drives, as well factory automation control products, Mechatronics, and robots. Yaskawa is also a major player in this industry, and its current business network includes offices in 24 countries, including Japan, along with production bases in six countries across three continents. Its ability to develop high-performance, compact products, combined with a no-compromise approach to reliability, has made Yaskawa one of the most respected leaders in the inverter and servo business.

For over a decade both of these companies have worked together in the marketing of machine automation products. Now Omron and Yaskawa have combined resources to provide their customers with the best of both worlds - smart technologies with unrivalled reliability. Under this joint venture OmronYaskawa Motion Control (OYMC) BV will be responsible for handling the product management and European marketing strategy.

A comprehensive range of advanced motion control products

OYMC's range of motion controllers is designed to cover the most demanding application needs, from the easiest point-to-point positioning to the most demanding movement profile. Controllers can be integrated in the PLC for centralised control applications, and can also be located on the servo drive for a decentralised approach.

Servo systems up to 50kW

OYMC's servo systems offer an extensive range of compact drives and motors that are highly reliable, highly dynamic, and offer high precision and high performance. Features like online auto-tuning, motor identification aswell as openness to popular field-buses are standard features.

Inverters up to 300 kW

The OYMC range of inverters has been designed with reliability, ease-of-use, performance and functionality in mind, providing cost-effective solutions for everything from simple speed control up to sophisticated flux and torque control applications. Configuration software and an extensive range of option cards (i.e. DeviceNet, Profibus, CanOpen, Interbus-S, and position synchronisation) are also available.

Modern bus technology creates integrated automation system

Modern production processes have a very high degree of complexity. This is characterised by the sheer number of production processes that overlap in terms of time and process optimisation; processes which are directly dependent on one another. Automation components that are perfectly and precisely in tune and that function reliably are required for such a complex system to work correctly. But what does this mean for the total installation or for the individual machine integrated into the process?

The answer can be found by looking at four basic requirements: maximum productivity, flexibility, 100% cost efficiency and optimal service friendliness. These basic requirements are closely linked to each other. For the end-user, cost-efficient production means minimum standstills and retooling times. At the same time there is a requirement for a constantly increasing product variety with ever-smaller batch sizes. This means that many different products should be produced on one installation while the greatest efficiency and quality is maintained.Examples of this are modern packaging or printing machines where, in many cases, relatively small batches of very different products are produced. This can only work flexibly, effectively and cost-efficiently if the retooling times are reduced to a minimum. The automation concept must have a universal nature from process visualisation right up to the actuators. It is only by introducing a universal concept that product related formulations or machine settings can be assigned to all the components by the virtual push of a button.Standstill times can also occur when transferring from one production stage to the next and the continuous flow of material is interrupted, for example loading, unloading, cutting off, pasting or printing. Another problem with such processes is the necessity of stopping and starting the entire installation, or at least a part of it, for retooling. Modern electronic systems allow axes to be slowed in a controlled manner, still in synchronism whilst retooling or raw materials are changed.

For reasons of cost-efficiency and low production costs, machine manufacturers strive to ensure that as little storage space as possible is needed and that the production process is as transparent as possible. To achieve modern machines are built modularly. Individual machine components created which are largely electrically identical but differ in terms of software. It is now obvious what the advantages of this concept are for the end-use modular machine is not only more efficient with regard to the acquisition costs (you buy only the components you require) but the flexibility production is also greatly increased. A modern paper-folding machine, for example, consists of a large number of identical modular folding stations which are put together in sequence and connected electrically.

Efficient and flexible individual actuators

Systems based on a distributed network do away with the traditional mechanical linkages, and individual axes are connected via wires or fibre optic links over which the required motion commands are sent. Continuous path controls are used to guarantee the process conditional relationships between the axes despite asynchronous mechanical operation.The advantage of replacing mechanical solutions with electronic continuous path control is obvious:

• Direct connection means no additional masses have to be moved (crank drives, cam plates, vertical shafts) resulting in greater dynamism with less energy.High precision leads to consistent results: no mechanical motion, reduced mass spring systems.Reduced mechanical loss gives a higher degree of efficiency.Switching off individual axis as required saves energy.No limitation to the variety of movement because of mechanical sliding or other rotating parts.
• Very high degree of flexibility and short retooling times.

High-speed bus dynamic axis communication

In the past few years communication capability has increased within industry, to the point where technically it is possible to connect to virtually any device on-line and view information relating to the likes of performance and maintenance. The same trend will continue in industry with the same explosive force for the next few years. It is therefore no surprise that bus technology is now an accepted part of motive power engineering and motion control, taking its place alongside networked control structures, production lines and factory workshops.In a modern automation system, the power electronics connect the computer-based, intelligent system section with the mechanical actuators. Modern continuous path control systems have now brought the power electronics to the data highway. Direct access via a control structure that reaches as far as the actuator is only one advantage of this system. Dreams of worldwide system monitoring via the Internet, commissioning and diagnostics from the office, exchange of components by non-trained personnel and therefore an integrated automation system, have at long last been made real as a result of these control systems.A modern continuous path control concept, such as CS1W-MCH, works with a powerful central computer to calculate the necessary motion sequences in an n-dimensional space. The positions obtained are sent via a high-performance bus system to the servo systems in a fixed time-slot pattern (0.5 to 3 ms depending on the number of axes). The servo axes send back the actual positions to the controller in the same time-slot pattern so any path corrections can be carried out immediately. The positioning servo loop is handled in the servo system and works independently of the bus.The entire system works with the precision and harmony of a symphony orchestra. Every musician plays his own instrument perfectly, synchronised by the experienced hand of the conductor - decentralised intelligence with central management.The open field bus system Mechatrolink II, specifically adapted for the field of motion control, forms the basis for this extremely efficient motion control concept. The standard topology of this linear bus system connects up to 30 servo axes (slaves) one after another with a central continuous path controller (master). With a data transfer rate of 10 Mbit/s, interpolations, electronic transmission or cam actuation can now be achieved. Because Mechatrolink II is an open field bus system there are also opportunities to integrate other units such as digital and analogue entry/exit systems, frequency inverters, counting devices, encoders, etc. into the bus topology.

CS1W-MCH - Motion control over high-speed motion link

With Omron's new CS1W-MCH motion control unit, today's manufacturers have the speed, accuracy and flexibility they need for their motion control systems. CS1W-MCH is a PLC-based advanced motion control unit that offers control of up to 30 axes. Its dedicated MechatroLink-II high-speed option bus provides instant communications between the motion controller and the servo drives. And its powerful processor handles the multiple tasks and all of their parallel programs every system cycle.

MechatroLink-II high-speed motion link

This high-speed interface replaces the costly discrete wiring required with traditional systems. Just one MechatroLink-II cable eliminates the need for about 15 for each axis, which simplifies wiring, and reduces the cost and time needed for installation. It also means that maintenance and troubleshooting are minimised.

With a frequency of 10M bit/s, the MechatroLink-II link provides communication cycle times of 0.5 ms for 4 axes, to 4 ms for 30 axes, ensuring fast, precise motion control.

Multi-tasking

With CS1W-MCH you can have up to eight different motion program tasks running simultaneously, and every program accepts up to eight parallel branches. All the branches in all tasks will be executed every system cycle.

Operates using BASIC language

The motion program is written in a simple-to-use BASIC language, making the system easy to design, install and commission. The CS1W-MCH can be used in applications involving cam curve creation, gearing and synchronising axes.

Easy information management systemUsing Omron's MCH-Tool you can create programs, read and write system parameters and servo parameters, positional data and cam data, and download or upload these to the CS1W-MCH unit, seamlessly.You can also access the entire system from one point - all you need is a laptop and the software package to programme the system!

The CS1W-MCH sits perfectly with Omron's renowned W-series servo driver, bringing enhanced functionality to this servo driver.

Key features

• PLC-based motion controllerComplete digital control of drives via MechatroLink-IIControls a total of 32 axesSimplified wiring saves cost and design timeReal multi-tasking and parallel programmingSimple to develop and modify using BASICAccess to the complete system from one pointLinear and circular interpolationElectronic axes synchronisationElectronic CAM profilesOne hardware registration per axis
• Dedicated inputs / outputs on the controller

Meters and Counters	Timers	Inverters	Servo Drives

Operator Panels	RFID	Sensors	Vision Systems

Motion Controllers	Servo Motors

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