Hydraulics is great for lifting heavy loads and applying large amounts of force, but the same power that is required to exert a large amount of lifting or compression force can also do damage or ...

Motion control systems, which normally control the position of actuator or stage, are at times given the task of providing both position and force control. These systems operate in a dual mode, in ...

Plant engineers and technicians are frequently asked to tune the controller when a control loop’s process value has prolonged or significant excursions from the set point. But in many instances, no ...

Engineers who work in motion control often start out using a relatively simple approach involving stepper motors to synthesize moves. Steppers are appealing in that their controllers can be simple and ...

Axis errors rob machine tools of the necessary accuracy for the jobs to be run. Luckily, though, two common position-measuring systems prevent this from happening. However, deciding which one should ...

Embedded engineers designing modern industrial systems for advanced robotics, automated machines, and motion systems require putting together many elements to build an industrial servo drive. That ...

This video shows the working mechanism of Physik Instrumente (PI)’s Hybrid Stage. PI offers a unique hybrid concept with parent position measurement and closed-loop control. Some of the key features ...

A brushless-DC motor is common in ceiling fan and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera designs. But you can’t use the same brushless-DC motor solution for both of these end products. A ceiling fan driver ...

Switching power supplies rely on feedback control loops to ensure that the required voltage and current are maintained under varying load conditions. Design of the feedback control loop influences ...

Just over a decade ago, an article titled, "Advanced Control Strategies Move into the Field" (Control, October 2008), highlighted three evolving trends in the process control world that would "make ...