Motion Control Software Takes Performance to New Heights for Complex Applications

Motion control software is used in the engineering, automation and robotics industry to control the motions of machinery parts. In today’s complex manufacturing environment, this is no simple task and motion control software brings entirely new capabilities that weren’t possible with purpose-built solutions.

Most motion control software is closely integrated with the hardware it’s controlling to handle functions such as velocity, positioning, motion trajectory, pressure, force and gearing. Software solutions provide many benefits to manufacturers and represent an important step away from previous technologies.

The Evolution of Motion Control Software

For a long time, programmable-logic controllers (PLCs) were the dominant motion controllers in the industry and motion control software was only considered viable for complex, high-performance applications.

Initially, PLCs were highly efficient when handling a few axes of motion for general applications. Eventually, purpose-built PLCs were made for more demanding tasks and improved upon the initial capabilities of PLCs. However, the cost and long product lifecycles of dedicated PLCs, because of their application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or digital signal processors (DSPs), began to be a burden for motion control.

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Motion control software was then developed for more general application use as a viable alternative to expensive or incapable PLCs.

Benefits of Motion Control Software

One of the main benefits of motion control software is its ease of use and quick installation. Traditional motion controllers require extensive hardware installations with a controller specifically built for that application. Motion control software can run on any PC and can be installed quickly and easily.

Additionally, some motion control software systems come as plug-and-play systems, allowing easy integration with different motion management devices so that there’s no need to install multiple applications for each device. Motion control software also reduces hardware requirements, which reduces the number of cabling around workstations for clear and efficient production environments.

Motion control software brings many different benefits for manufacturers. Ease of use, quick installation and integration, and reduced costs and cabling are among some of the most important benefits.

Motion control software can perform in applications where traditional PLCs, even dedicated PLCs, simply cannot. In today’s complex manufacturing environment, motion control software brings important cost and performance benefits to the table.