how it encourages, if not nags you, to select the right gear, when it’s not equipped with an automatic transmission. The software will tell you off if you try to change gear when it’s not appropriate. Automatic transmissions, which rely on electronic signals, will change the gears depending on the conditions at that moment in time. Looking at how the same approach can be found in fluid power systems, we can find traction control for wheel loaders, automatic override on telehandlers to prevent them from tipping over, telematics and GPS on tractors and self-propelled agricultural machinery also equipped with downforce control to maintain optimal soil penetration. Furthermore, machines feature condition monitoring of their systems to maintain optimal oil properties, leak detection in industrial air systems, vibration detection in compressors and gearboxes. These solutions all use digital communications and digital controls to get the best performance and to modulate battery systems and the solutions are already helping to optimise energy efficiency. Looking forward, motion control solutions will play an increasingly important role in how energy is consumed. The landscape of energy production is being impacted by digitalisation, where turbine blades are rotated, or the head of the turbine is turned into the prevailing wind to keep the blades turning. Solar arrays are rotated to track the sun to maintain the best possible output. The production and reliably safe storage of hydrogen is heavily reliant on digital technology, but I can’t argue that digital technology will be a panacea for hydrogen production. Sustainable energy production is nonnegotiable. Digitalisation and motion control cannot work without power, and 33% efficiency is not acceptable for sustainability. That said, the way that energy is consumed will have the biggest impact on future outcomes. Reliability A seven-year warranty, a 6000-hour design life, duty cycle and S1 duty verses S2 or S3, these are all part of reliability engineering, making sure the product or system either does what it’s designed to do or functions for the intended duration. Automated analysis and detection of issues within the fluid, either air or liquid, is a key aspect of reliability and we again see that motion control plays a part here too. We know that more than 85% of machine failures are caused by contamination. Transitioning to an electro-hydraulic or electro-pneumatic system as part of motion control solution development also makes the system lend itself to the capture of data that can help detect and mitigate early life failure by giving very early notice of very subtle changes in the system that can indicate some type of degradation. Tying reliability with the other subjects above, such as efficiency and sustainability, we can see how systems must be more accurate and more repeatable and last longer in increasingly aggressive or severe environments that, until now, have needed a human sitting at the controls. Machines will work in chemically toxic, radioactive or extremely hot or cold environments. The criticality of reliability won’t be because of human expectations; reliability will be part of the cost model of the machines, much as they are in aviation. Significant investment will demand a return on investment, and that means machines have to work harder, more often and for longer periods of time. Conclusion In conclusion, the way in which machines are used is changing and I expect that the pace of change will increase. As the applications change and the performance expectations increase, it will force a paradigm shift in terms of design. The life cycle of machines is going to evolve, and the goals in terms of performance, duty cycles, and design life are going to increase. The abundance of information is a good thing, but the models of training and skills development need to be updated to enable the application of this information to the design and development of motion control solutions in the next generation of machines. 58 www.bfpa.co.uk
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