Mechatronics

Why should you care? Because whatever the term “mechatronics” might mean to you, it affects so many aspects of our daily life.

We’ve all seen commercials with a production floor full of welding robots making automobiles. Certainly automotive manufacturing would not be possible without numerically controlled machine tools, robots and much more. And the automotive manufacturers continue to advance the field of automated manufacturing resulting in higher quality products at lower costs. Read more

Project Mechatronics Round-Up

Tools to help you with your designs - Oct 2007

Software: Motion Control System Design with Multi-Language Simulation Tools. From Mentor Graphics: http://mentor.com

While various analysis options for motion control systems have been available for many years, only multi-language simulation can completely handle the diverse modeling requirements of motion control systems in a “holistic” manner. This approach allows for rapid development of new models using hardware description languages (HDLs) which go beyond the capabilities of SPICE yet still supports the use of existing SPICE models. Read more

Different Drive Concepts for Different Machine Tool Motions

Here’s a quick look at your options when selecting drives for use in machine tools.

In machine tools, typically the details of the installed drive technology are concealed. In principle, however, there are several possibilities for main, feed and auxiliary drives to carry out the needed machine movements.

Main Drives

Main drives are predominantly closed-loop controlled, electric synchronous, and asynchronous motors. Their applications include kit or housed motors for use in turning, milling and grinding machines as well as in machining centers. The traditional spindle drives with housed motors – mostly air-cooled – are also popular as main drives. In comparison with motor spindles they are less costly when considering the secondary costs of both systems. On the one hand, the interposition of gearboxes enables the rotational speed and torque to be tuned to the machining task. On the other hand the gear boxes cause unwanted radial forces, noise and increased wear. Read more

Integrate Test with Design and Analysis

The common definition of mechatronics does not include testing. Perhaps it should.

By Sugato Deb, Ph.D., MBA & Director Emerging Markets / Partnerships
National Instruments

In the traditional design process of parts and assemblies, engineers produce models, analyze their behaviors under operating conditions, and pass physical prototypes “over the wall” for test engineers to evaluate in a pass-fail mode. Any problems that come to light are “thrown back” for design changes that, though necessary, come at the cost of additional prototypes and development time.

If that wall could be broken down, with analysis and testing working together in a closed-loop cycle, both groups would reap benefits from the use of test-based input values to drive analysis models, the use of analysis results to recommend sensor locations and test scenarios, and faster and better product development cycles. Read more

The Continuing Evolution of Mechatronics

It began as the integration of mechanisms with electronics. Since then, mechatronics has evolved, and for all practical purposes, includes nearly every engineering discipline.

By Andy Urda, Director Channel & Industry Marketing

Yaskawa Electric

In 1953, Yaskawa Electric began its active role in advancing technology in the field of motion control when the company introduced its servo motor line, the Minertia® Motor (named for minimum inertia). These servomotors made rotation exact to the proportion of conduction. Due to their very low inertia, they handle extremely fast starts and stops. Originally, they were applied to electrical actuators for the control of mechanical arms. Today, they are also found in many industrial automation applications. Yaskawa’s signature phrase of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s was “Mochintrol,” which was created from the combination of motor, machine, and control. Mochintrol became a registered trademark for the company in 1971. Read more

Behind Mechatronics’ Overnight Success

Many electrical engineers may have just caught the buzz about a discipline called mechatronics, and have heard that it’s going to change their lives. There are good reasons why that’s likely to be the case, and I’ll go into them. But first, I’d like to make clear that many years of hard work have gone into making mechatronics an overnight success.
It was back in 1994 when the term “mechatronics” first came to my attention. Based on some initial research, I wrote an article entitled “Mecha—what?” to explain to EEs what was beginning to happen. In it, I stated that this new discipline was “the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control, and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes.” Through no fault of my own, the statement became the official definition of mechatronics adopted by the Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee of the European Community, and it still seems encapsulated the basic concepts behind mechatronics today. Read more

About Mechatronics

Among the thousands of definitions of Mechatronics, we find the terms synergistic, interdisciplinary, flexible, and robust repeated frequently. Thus, the synergistic application of interdisciplinary engineering fields for the creation and development of robust, flexible products and processes is as good a definition as any. One of the better definitions, however, is that mechatronics stands simply for the execution of good design practices, regardless of which engineering disciplines are involved. Read more