Drives & Controls Magazine February 2023

30 n SPS REVIEW February 2023 www.drivesncontrols.com The German sensor-maker SensoPart has developed an image-processing system which, it says, can detect and differentiate items reliably without users needing to be machine vision experts. The Visor Object AI system implements an AI algorithm in the vision sensor, thus avoiding the need for network or cloud connections. The system learns distinguishing characteristics using as few as five images of the object to be identified. It can differentiate between variants even for flexible, shape-changing objects such as spiral springs or plastic bags. It is not affected by fluctuations between batches, contamination, reflections or varying 3D orientations. After being taught using a few mouse clicks, the system can recognise objects and assign them to different classes. For presence checks, components can be rated simply as “good” or “bad”, or they can be divided into 200 classes. Once a classification has been taught, it works reliably without the user needing to worry about the detection rules and parameters required for traditional rules-based image processing, which relies on techniques such as pattern comparison, or contour or contrast recognition. Compared to traditional detectors, Sensopart says that its AI vision sensors need much less set- up effort and offer increased stability. Users can save time because they do not need to create logical links between several detectors. www.sensopart.com At SPS, Beckhoff was demonstrating the latest developments in its XPlanar system which transports items along production lines on levitating “movers” with up to six degrees of freedom. The system was launched in 2018 and its functions have been continuously expanded since then. Items can now be handled more flexibly thanks to new mover identification capabilities, the ability to couple movers, and movers that allow bidirectional operation on one tile containing the power circuitry. XPlanar bumpers with ID functions identify movers by reading individual serial numbers. The bumpers can be mounted or retrofitted easily to a mover and need no extra hardware. It is possible to track movers and products even after a power supply failure. In addition, there is no need for homing at system start-up if the application has been programmed suitably. There is a new mover measuring 127 x 127mm that can carry loads of up to 1kg and can operate bidirectionally on appropriately-sized electromagnetic tiles, allowing complete production cycles, including recirculation, to be performed within the width of just one tile. This also applies to another new rectangular mover measuring 115 x 155mm which can handle loads of up to 0.8kg. If a second track is added to the tile surface, there is a new 155 x 235mm rectangular mover can transport longer products weighing up to 3kg in three directions. The largest XPlanar mover, measuring 235 x 235mm, can transport loads up to 4.2kg – or far more using an adapter that links several movers together mechanically. For example, four coupled movers can shift 14.8kg using this method. The large mover can also support more elaborate workpiece carriers. Beckhoff has recently expanded production capacity in its Herzebrock plant can can now manufacture 500 XPlanar tiles per week. www.beckhoff.com/xplanar Sensopart says that its AI-based vision sensors simplify image processing and can be set up in just a few steps The Spanish servodrive developer, Ingenia , claims to have produced the world’s smallest and fastest servodrive. Its 3kW Everest S drive has a starting weight of just 18 grammes and is about 30% smaller than its predecessor. It is suitable for applications such cobots (collaborative robots), AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), exoskeletons, pan/tilt gimbals and surgical robots. EtherCat and CANopen versions of the drive deliver bus latencies of just one cycle, making them the fastest servodrives on the market, according to Ingenia. High-speed SPI bus communications is available for the EtherCat/CANopen multi-axis architectures. The drives have current loops running at 50kHz and velocity loops at 25kHz, for optimal motor performance. Ingenia also claims that the drives offer best-in- class motion-control performance, efficiency and integration capabilities. The motion control software includes a configuration wizard and diagnostic functions. “We’re excited to introduce the Everest S to meet the growing demand for smaller, faster servodrives that provide more space for applications, and even better performance,”says Marc Vila, director of strategy and business development at US-based Celera Motion, which acquired Ingenia in 2019.“Our goal is to give product designers as much freedom and flexibility as possible – and the Everest S delivers that and more.” The Everest S is said to include the best functions of other Everest servo drives and adds support for dual BiSS-C feedback. It combines 16-bit differential current and four configurable ranges, and has been designed to meet industrial functional safety standards to ensure safe operation. The Everest S servodrives are is the latest release in Celera’s Summit series of drives, which also includes its Capitan and Denali series. https://ingeniamc.com/everest-s-series Matchbox-sized 3kW servodrive is the world’s ‘smallest and fastest’ The Everest S servodrive weighs 18g and is about 30% smaller than its predecessor Beckhoff has enhanced the capabilities of its XPlanar production line transport system Vision sensors recognise objects without needing image- processing expertise Floating production transport system gains flexibility