5 Challenges Faced By The CNC Control Design Sector

The top 5 challenges faced by the CNC control design sector include lowering the cost of ownership, speed at the nanometer level resolution, choosing the right motion feedback solution, conquering functional safety issues and securing customized solutions. Walker Machinery, a leading distributor of digital encoders and CNC control systems in Waterloo, Ontario, explores these 5 challenges and some possible solutions in this blog.

 

 

What Are The Major Challenges Faced By The CNC Control Design Sector?

 

Lowering The Cost Of Ownership

 

The requirement for a precise and accurate motion control system is on the rise and is expected to increase exponentially in the future. However, ensuring repeatability, precision and cost-effectiveness generally do not go hand in hand. That being said, industries are demanding cost reduction combined with precision. Metrology, calibration devices, micro machining, automation systems and semiconductor manufacturing are excellent examples of sectors that require accuracy and low cost of ownership.

 

Digital encoder manufacturers, such as Heidenhain, aim to tackle this challenge with encoders that integrate the precision of angle encoders with air bearings to create a system that is accurate and easy to maintain and install.

 

 

Speed At The Nanometer Level Resolution

 

As technology continues to advance, the size of its components is also shrinking steadily. This is definitely the case for consumer electronic components. However, this shrinkage in component size is even more pronounced in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. This sector requires a nanometer level of precision to achieve accuracy. This, however, comes at the cost of the speed of manufacturing and brings down the overall throughput. 

 

Major CNC control manufacturers aim to counteract this challenge by incorporating linear encoders that ensure picometer-level accuracy with high stability and a high rate of constant velocity to maintain optimal speed and accuracy for semiconductor manufacturing. 

 

 

Choosing The Right Motion Feedback Solution

 

With a significant increase in the variety of motion control and CNC control technology, there are plenty of options to choose from for manufacturers. Most common options include optical, magnetic, inductive and capacitative encoders. However, taking environmental factors into consideration, choosing the right digital encoder or motion feedback solution can be quite challenging. To ensure the right selection, consider the following criteria:

 

- The level of accuracy required in the application. For instance, if the level of accuracy required is high, that is, below 40 arcseconds, consider optical encoders.

 

- Environmental conditions acting on the encoder, such as temperature, vibration, contamination and more. For instance, in situations where high accuracy is not a major criterion and the encoder is exposed to environmental challenges, non-optical encoders such as magnetic, inductive or capacitative encoders can be considered.

 

- Mechanical restrictions that may directly or indirectly affect encoder performance.

 

 

Conquering Functional Safety Issues

 

As automation and machining are becoming nearly ubiquitous across industries, there is an increased emphasis on functional safety. This is because manual labour combined with automated systems is the new reality for many manufacturing facilities. For instance, automated guided vehicles and robotics function along with humans in factories and warehouses.

 

However, designing a machine system with this functional safety is a major challenge. This is because the operation of the entire system and its components has to be assessed thoroughly. Moreover, the entire process is highly inefficient and expensive. 

 

To counteract this, CNC control and motion control manufacturers have come up with pre-approved, functional safety-centred positioning systems that make the entire design exponentially easier and scalable.

 

 

Securing Customized Solutions

 

Lastly, with an ever-increasing emphasis on specialization in automation, robotics and other forms of technology, a one-size-fits-all solution is becoming obsolete. The need of the hour is to focus on customized motion control solutions that cater to the specifics of a particular sector or application. Of course, with this focus on extensive customization, there is its own set of challenges, such as increased cost and a reduction in throughput.

 

However, reputed manufacturers of CNC control and motion feedback systems, such as Heidenhain, are able to navigate this complexity with ease and provide new solutions catered to specific industrial requirements. 

 

 

Conclusion

 

In closing, the main challenges faced by the CNC control and motion feedback design sector include a focus on precision and lowering cost, ensuring high speeds at the nanometer level, choosing systems according to environmental considerations, ensuring functional safety and achieving a high degree of customization.

 

To learn how these challenges can be overcome with the right CNC control solutions, contact us at Walker Machinery today. As one of the major distributors of digital encoders in Waterloo, Ontario, our collection of CNC control solutions includes linear encoders, rotary encoders, high-quality digital readout systems and related accessories. With decades of experience in this field, we proudly serve a wide variety of industries ranging from robotics to metrology and more. For more information, contact us at 905-876-0890 today.

 

 

FAQs:

 

Which offers more accuracy between optical and magnetic encoders?

 

Optical encoders offer more accuracy than magnetic encoders due to their inherent design. 

 

What type of digital encoders are used in semiconductor manufacturing?

 

Optical and capacitative linear encoders and angle encoders are commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing.