Product category:
Work-in-progress tracking software
News Release from: Hayes Control Systems | Subject: TwinCAT PC software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 09 January 2001
Virtual camshaft reduces manufacturing
costs
A virtual camshaft facility is included in a new version of the existing Beckhoff TwinCAT PC software system for PLC and NC motion control for machine tools and systems.
Hayes Control Systems has introduced a version of its Beckhoff TwinCAT PC software system for PLC and NC motion control, which incorporates a new virtual camshaft facility Designed to replace mechanical mainshafts or external drive regulators with a single software module, TwinCAT is suitable for a wide range of automation applications, such as the control of machining centres, transfer lines, presses and packing machines
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 9 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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TwinCAT NC PTP incorporates the virtual camshaft facility as part of an integrated process control package for industrial PCs running Windows NT.
The software provides significant cost and performance benefits by eliminating the need for external hardware, communication and data transfer components and simplifying project management and implementation.
In practice, the latest TwinCAT software allows up to 255 axes to be co-ordinated and synchronised via a computer using a single leading axis, whether this takes the form of a real axis, an extended position encoder or is represented virtually within the PC.
To ensure each application will reach optimal performance, each TwinCAT NC PTP system is supplied with freely scaleable tables, which have been designed specifically to meet the individual process requirements and provide the connecting link between the leading axis and all of the other performance parameters that are to be co-ordinated.
The values in these tables, together with the movement of the leading axis, describe the velocity, acceleration and deceleration of the drives to be controlled, which enables them to be synchronised with a high degree of precision.
For further flexibility, the new TwinCAT Camshaft Software also features a simulation facility, which enables operators to investigate the performance of each automated process using a highly realistic model and to modify system parameters online, where required.
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