5 Things to Know About Machine Control

In its most basic form, machine control is the implementation of positioning sensors and a visual display to assist the operator with a reference between the location of the bucket/blade and the target grade. The target grade may be as complicated as a 3D design model, or as basic as a vertical offset from a defined level.  Based on the configuration, machine control systems can offer the operator with a simple visual guide to bucket or blade position, or they can efficiently move the blade to grade by directly “talking” to the machine’s hydraulics.

There are systems readily available on nearly all types of machines: graders, dozers, excavators, soil & asphalt compactors, scrapers, trimmers, milling machines, and pavers. While embracing the escalating expansion of both the applications and the industry, it is recommended to keep the following points in mind.

 Greater precision at the same time lowering expenses 

The requirement for precise, repeatable motion control components has existed for a while— however, the demands continue to intensify. As and when technology evolves, so does the need to drive down its costs. This is significantly true in applications that utilise precision rotating axes—metrology, calibration devices, automation technology, micromachining, and semiconductor manufacturing. High accuracy and high stiffness are definitely within reach but at a cost that may prove to be restrictive at times.

Picking the right motion feedback solution 

To meet the global standards of newly automated applications, engineers now have a variety of motion feedback solutions to evaluate – namely scanning technologies. From optical and inductive to magnetic and capacitive, picking the ideal one for a given application can be mystifying.

 Conquering functional safety issues

 As guided vehicles and other similar automation protocols become more popular in factories and work stations, functional safety is increasingly gaining significance in motion control design. In fact, most countries across Europe are already using it in applications, and its implementation is rising in the US and the Middle East as well. Adopting safety-related position measuring systems can lead to reducing the burden on a machine designer. 

Securing customised solutions 

As advanced technologies have begun infiltrating the industry and day-to-day functioning, the need for machine control systems becomes more defined and specialised. Sometimes, a one-size-fits-all solution simply isn’t specific enough for the task at hand. It has been observed that engineers are collaborating with component manufacturers to create new solutions to meet their particular needs. 

Improve operator performance/ shorten training window

Bulldozers and motor graders are considered to be among the more troublesome machines to hire and train qualified operators for. Machine control technology helps significantly shorten the training process and enables less-experienced operators to achieve similar targets as those with more knowledge and experience.

The post 5 Things to Know About Machine Control appeared first on Schneider Electric Blog.

Visit Toronto Wiring
from Schneider Electric Blog


Visit Toronto Wiring

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EFF: No Digital Surveillance of Iranians at the U.S. Border—or Within the U.S.

No Digital Surveillance of Iranians at the U.S. Border—or Within the U.S. Only days into heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, media outlets have published disturbing reports of increased scrutiny of people of Iranian descent at U.S. borders, including in at least one case involving a traveler’s phone. EFF strongly opposes any targeting of people for digital surveillance based on their race, religion, or nationality, at our border and in our interior. And we remind all members of the public to practice surveillance self-defense. Disturbing Reports from the Border On January 5, media outlets reported that more than 60 people of Iranian descent, including U.S. citizens, were held at the border between Canada and Washington state for many hours and questioned about their perceived connections to Iran. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) denied that it detained or refused entry to Iranians based on their national origin, a claim contested by accounts f
Read more

EFF: Corporate Speech Police Are Not the Answer to Online Hate

Corporate Speech Police Are Not the Answer to Online Hate A coalition of civil rights and public interest groups issued recommendations today on policies they believe Internet intermediaries should adopt to try to address hate online. While there’s much of value in these recommendations, EFF does not and cannot support the full document. Because we deeply respect these organizations, the work they do, and the work we often do together; and because we think the discussion over how to support online expression—including ensuring that some voices aren’t drowned out by harassment or threats—is an important one, we want to explain our position. We agree that online speech is not always pretty—sometimes it’s extremely ugly and causes real world harm. The effects of this kind of speech are often disproportionately felt by communities for whom the Internet has also provided invaluable tools to organize, educate, and connect. Systemic discrimination does not disappear and can even be ampl
Read more

Living on the (IT) Edge: Schneider Electric at HPE Discover 2018

Image
We’re here at HPE Discover 2018 , proudly sponsoring the event and enjoying a jam-packed few days in Las Vegas. The data center industry has experienced tremendous disruption in the last decade. The fourth Industrial Revolution, with its IT/OT convergence, the proliferation of IoT, and insatiable demand for digital connectivity, is creating the opportunity to push the envelope of performance beyond the obvious and create new business value. And there’s no bigger opportunity right now than at the edge. At the same time, these new paradigms are also driving more complexity: companies today are trying to manage a combination of environments, from large centralized data centers on-premises or in the cloud, regional edge data centers, to local edge data centers. We have more data centers, intertwined across more locations, and with more data, than ever before. All of this adds up to promising opportunities on the horizon for our customers – but an equally daunting number of new challenges
Read more