Motion Control eBook

AutomationDirect's Practical Guide to Motion Control is now available with detailed info on building reliable, accurate motion systems for industrial machines. The basics of motion control and how to select, size, and tune systems are covered along with the most common application types. You'll learn when to choose stepper vs servo, how to read torque-speed curves and match inertia, and how to apply core concepts like homing, limits, profiles, electronic gearing and camming, interpolation, registration, and synchronization. The decision to use PLC-based motion or dedicated controllers, and how to communicate via PTO, Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, or EtherCAT, is explained with practical wiring and setup tips. Accessories such as power supplies, braking resistors, encoders, gearboxes, actuators, and proper cabling are included, along with tuning guidance and diagnostics for issues like resonance and following error. Our practical guide is a must-read for those new to motion control or veteran professionals alike, with selection checklists, sizing tips, and gotchas to avoid.

What's Inside:

• Chapter 1: Motion Control Introduction - fundamentals, use cases, and where motion fits in modern automation.
• Chapter 2: Motion Control Components & Basics - motors, drives, controllers/PLCs, degrees of motion (axes), mechanisms, and sensors.
• Chapter 3: Motion Control Concepts - homing, position verification, overtravel; basic profiles (trapezoidal, S-curve, velocity, torque); advanced functions like electronic camming/gearing, encoder following, full-closed-loop, linear/circular/helical interpolation, PLS, registration, flying shear, rotary knife, synchronous phasing, random infeed conveyor, rotary table, robot control, and G-code.
• Chapter 4: Stepper Systems - stepper basics; open-loop vs. closed-loop; motor details (sizes, shafts, IP ratings); selection criteria (TS curves, drive options, power, current, rotor inertia); product overview.
• Chapter 5: Servo Systems - servo basics and control loops; motor details and selection (TS, inertia matching, gearboxes); tuning and diagnostics (auto-tune, oscilloscope, trends); STO and product overview.
• Chapter 6: Monitoring & Control Communications - hardwired I/O, PTO pulse/direction, serial (ASCII/Modbus), Ethernet (ModbusTCP/EtherNet/IP), and EtherCAT for deterministic multi-axis control.
• Chapter 7: Accessories - power supplies/regen, EMI/RFI filtering, cabling, encoders and sensors, and mechanical elements (gearboxes, actuators, couplings).
• Chapter 8: Component Selection - practical guidance for choosing controllers, drives, motors, and accessories for your application.