Yaskawa America: Unified Motion and Robot Control [VIDEO]

Aug. 17, 2015
Yaskawa has developed a method to unify the control of servos, variable frequency drives, and robotics from within a single programming environment. This technology was demonstrated at the Pack Expo International show in Chicago, IL. The primary packaging machine featured 2 high speed MPP3 delta robots, 1 HP20 case packing robot, and a synchronous conveyor belt system with a moving junction, utilizing Yaskawa servos and VFDs. All components of the system were controlled by a single MP3200iec controller, which utilized a single programming environment, the IEC61131-3 compliant MotionWorks IEC, which also includes PackML and OEE monitoring functions. The traditional implementation of this system would have required 3 controllers, 3 different programming languages, and 5 different software products and vendors. The unified control system employs 1 controller, 1 programming language, and 1 software product, simplifying design, maintenance, and training for engineers, while drastically reducing development and