Industrial motion control is in a period of innovation right now. New achievements in robotics show up in headlines and in factories daily. Game-changing advancements in the Industrial Internet of Things, communication across the industry, and human-machine interfaces are on the horizon.
But at the center of all of these changes you will still find the servo motor. Initially designed to help power steamboats, the motor that uses sensor feedback to control actions continues to be the smart choice for any motion control challenge that requires speed, power, and accuracy.
So what attitude should we take toward innovation? Do you seize the moment and upgrade everything to take advantage of the newer, more energy-saving options? Do you change nothing because the anticipated innovations will be so much more exciting than what we have now, when we’re on the verge of revolutionary changes?
It’s a tough call. It depends on factors like the resources you currently have, how well the human beings you work with are currently managing those resources and how well they’re working with the current machinery, how well the machinery is meeting the needs of the human workers in the facility, your space, and how all these factors align with your business goals.
And all these factors have to be considered in connection with all the others. A more powerful servo motor that the salesman says will double your throughput will be a waste unless the rest of the line can keep up with the anticipated additional speed. Controls that don’t require specialized languages sound great, but not if your workers are most comfortable with the specialized languages you’re now using, not with the common IT languages new motion control is using.
Take a wholistic approach to your business and your motion control and plan for the future, bearing in mind that the future is full of changes. In the meantime, if you need support with your Rexroth electric motion control, however new or old it may be, we can help.