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AUTOMATION

Intelligent actuators – PD42-1243-IOLINK stepper motor and EoAT Gripper (TMCM-1617-GRIP REF)

Motion control algorithms provide smooth and precise movement, while the chopping multiply as they carry critical information
algorithms focus on making the motor more power efficient. In addition, sensing the such as temperature status of a device,
position of the armature is important to detect if the motor has moved to the correct over-voltage, over-current, open wire
position. This is done with magnetic sensing typically using Hall sensors or some type of detection, short circuit detection,
optical encoding solution. over-temperature warnings, thermal
To demonstrate the value of these next generation intelligent actuators, here are two shutdown and CRC. If we take a step
new examples - the PD42-1-1243-IOLINK and the recently released End of Arm Tooling back now and multiply the number of
(EoAT) Gripper reference design TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF. Both solutions demonstrate the semi-conductors providing datagrams
power of combining intelligent motion, driver and IO Link communication technology across the entire breadth of equipment
from Maxim and Trinamic. These new intelligent actuators simplify commissioning and on a factory floor, it becomes clear that
boost factory productivity, by providing industrial automation engineers access to 50 a diagnostic mapping of the factory floor
percent more configuration and performance parameters over the IO Link communication can be achieved to anticipate, identify
interface. Finally, these intelligent actuators can be adjusted on-the-fly to accommodate and diagnose manufacturing line failures.
changes in operating environment and the implementation of advanced AI derived
productivity solutions. This ability to shape the actuator’s performance based on its The next big thing
operational environment is the future of intelligent motion control. One thing is clear: by empowering this
“new way of thinking”, smart factories
Diagnostics and real-time decision-making can take advantage of these new
Higher levels of diagnostic capabilities continue to provide a richer data set that improves capabilities to improve throughput and
real-time, edge-based decision-making to improve productivity and operational integrity increase productivity. As these new
on the factory floor. These powerful manufacturing-based AI algorithm platforms are technologies continue to mature, the next
expected to grow from $1B in CY18 revenue to over $17B by CY25, or a CAGR close generation of AI algorithms will become
to 50%, according to a MarketsandMarkets report published in January 2019 entitled the beneficiaries by leveraging the higher
“Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Market.” During this time, machine learning is quality of real-time data being generated
expected to be the highest growth segment in AI due to the rapid investments being from these solutions. As a result, these
made to implement smart factories. new self-aware, capable machines will
The driving force behind this growth stems from the abundance of health and automatically implement AI generated
status information being generated from a network of IIoT-powered devices, algorithms solutions to keep a manufacturing line
providing predictive analytics, and machine-vision cameras monitoring the quality of operational until it is repaired or serviced
products as well as evaluating the status and operational health of the machines. by a technician. This era of self-aware
At the IC level, more and more information is monitored, collected and communicated machines will inspire “the next big thing”
via SPI bus to and from a micro-processor. The volume of these IC datagrams continues to in industrial automation. n

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