A marriage of mechanical and electrical components creates the ultimate motion control solution.

In this world of do more, do it faster, do it better and do it with less, manufacturers and packagers need high-tech equipment that can help them achieve these goals. Adding mechatronics, a technology some tout as the ultimate in motion control solutions, to the motion control mix is one way to get the job done.

“Mechatronics is the synergy of mechanics, electronics and software and control,” says John Pritchard, global product marketing manager at Rockwell Automation. “In essence, this combination creates a motion control solution that serves as the bridging technology that takes us from the world of electronics and software to the world of mechanics.”

Experts say crossing this bridge take you to a new level of motion control capabilities. “A mechatronic solution has the ability to provide outstanding benefits, such as higher productivity and better accuracy, due to the marriage of mechanical elements and advanced technologies such as electrical control-based technology,” says Rodney Rusk, automotive industry manager for Bosch Rexroth. “It is the marriage of these technologies into a single assembly that is so beneficial.”

Marvelous Mechatronics

The simple placement of these technologies into one box offers technological advantages in terms of the space envelope, notes Poul Jeppesen, president of SKF Actuation Systems. “The smaller, the better today,” he says. “And mechatronics allows us to get more into a piece of equipment. For instance, in a hospital emergency room or on the floor of a manufacturing plant, space is at a premium, so the smaller and more compact you have your equipment, the more equipment you can fit into the same layout. The ability to fit more into a single assembly is a major driver for going with a mechatronic solution.”

Not only do mechatronics save on real estate, but they are also deemed more accurate. “By incorporating electromechanical controls, you are better able to control the stroke,” says Jeppesen. “As people are attaching more demands and higher requirements to the actual motion capabilities of a system, mechatronics becomes very important because in many cases the electro side is easier to control and operate. By that I mean when you move from position A to position B or when you ramp up and ramp down, it’s much easier to do with a mechatronic system than with a traditional pneumatic system, where you let go and it moves until you stop it. It is hard to vary the speeds during travel with a traditional system, but it is very possible and very easy with an electromechanical solution.”

Flexibility is also increased, says Pritchard. “A mechatronic solution encompasses your software with control and that means the way you control the final actuation is done by software, thus providing flexibility,” he says. “With traditional pneumatic systems, you can just go from one end to the other. With a mechatronic solution, you can go anywhere in between and choose and control exactly what the actual actuator does.”

He adds that the way you program the solution can be equally flexible. “If you want to adjust an aspect of how a pneumatic cylinder moves, you have to get inside the machine to do that. With a mechatronic solution, not only can you do it with software, but you can be sitting next to the equipment or on the other side of the world doing it via the Internet.”

And, mechatronics provide a means of satiating our need for extreme control. “We have become a society of control freaks who want to know exactly what is going on at any time during the day,” says Jeppesen. “With electromechanical systems, we have quite a few feedback systems that tell you exactly the position of the equipment, where on the travel from point A to point B it is, and that is a major reason people favor mechatronics.” Pritchard agrees. “The mechatronic system’s feedback device allows us to see what going on and react and adapt to create a high-performance outcome.”

The Price is Right

Another bonus: mechatronic systems are just plain easier to maintain and cheaper to operate. “If you look at an automated solution that is purely hydraulic or pneumatic, there are seals, gaskets, airlines, pumps, air cleaners, filters and more consumable goods that have to be monitored and replaced,” says Rusk. “But if you look at something that is electrical or control based, you aren’t dealing with those. When you eliminate replacing consumables, you not only lower the cost on components, but also the cost of the personnel who maintain those consumables is lower as well.”

This reduced cost of maintenance is one of the reasons a mechatronic solution is cost effective, despite its higher initial price tag. “When you purchase the components up front, an electromechanical system seems expensive,” admits Jeppesen. “However, electromechanical players have to look at the total cost of ownership. Typically, efficiency is higher for the electromechanical systems and the maintenance costs are much lower because there are fewer components that can break and wear.”

Pritchard agrees. “We really encourage people to look at the total cost of ownership if they get frightened by the bill of materials at first glance,” he says.

He cites an example of a customer who makes butter wrapping machines. “It took 21 discrete movements to wrap a block of butter and get it into the box and every one of these movements was controlled using a mechanical solution. When they wanted to switch from one type of configuration to another, they had to take cams out and replace them. They had to sit down and design mechanical cams and have them built if they wanted a new shape. So, they were interested in a mechatronic solution.”

He continues: “When we designed a mechatronic machine, their bill of materials doubled. However, the actual total cost of building a machine was about the same because they had savings on mechanical cams and such that they didn’t have to design and build. And once the machines were out in the field, there was less maintenance and changeover time so the company could produce more.

“This,” he says, “is a great example of how we can go from a seemingly expensive bill of materials to an end cost and lifecycle cost that works out to roughly the same as a traditional system when the customer considers the costs of maintenance and the increased productivity.”

When all is considered — the flexibility to be used in upgrades or new equipment, the increased accuracy and efficiency, the environmentally friendly aspect and the potential to reduce the electric bill (See adjacent box), is it any wonder the mechatronics are quickly becoming the motion control technology of choice?

NEXT STEP:More information on Bosch Rexroth is available at www.boschrexroth-us.com or by calling 800-739-7684.More information on the Motion Control Association is available at www.motioncontrolonline.org or by calling 734-994-6088.More information on Rockwell Automation is available at www.rockwellautomation.com or by calling 800-223-5254.More information on SKF Actuation Systems is available at www.skf.com or by calling 800-440-4753.