Faster, better, cheaper

Machine builders can now expect their engineering software tools to provide an integrated solution to mechanical and electrical simulation. Nipun Mathur, the National Instruments motion control and mechatronics product manager explains how.

Intense competition is putting pressure on machine builders to deliver machines with higher throughput, reduced operating cost, and increased safety. For this reason, today’s machine builders have switched from rigid, single-purpose machines – relying purely on mechanical gears and cams – to flexible multipurpose machines by adopting modern control systems and servomotors.

Although these improvements have made machines more adaptable, they also have introduced a significant amount of complexity to the machines and subsequently to the machine design process.

Along with designing the mechanicals, machine builders now incorporate control logic, human machine interfaces (HMIs), networking, and machine condition monitoring systems into their designs. The added complexity has created inefficiencies in the machine design process that lengthen design time and increase design cost.