Developing a high-precision motion control application quickly and effectively? For many machine builders, this might sound too good to be true, but it’s precisely what ACS Motion Control focuses on. The supplier of motion controller and drive solutions discusses developments and opportunities in detail in this article. VARIODRIVE has been working with ACS Motion Control products for over 25 years, assisting high-tech OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in implementing these products in their high-precision applications.

We strive to create the smartest motion control solutions through long term partnerships that make life-changing innovations possible.

The above is the vision statement of ACS Motion Control, our partner and supplier of motion controller and drive solutions for high-tech OEM systems. And this is not an empty phrase; in our conversation with Jason Goerges, General Manager North America and Global VP of Marketing at ACS Motion, all these elements play a crucial role.

“It’s exciting to work in a company and market where there’s a demand for elegant solutions that fit into the incredibly complex applications that our clients in fields like semiconductor manufacturing deal with. These are not challenges you solve overnight; you have to keep working on them continuously. That inspires and personally challenges me,” says Jason.

Partnership

ACS collaborates with local partners to meet the needs of high-tech OEM machine builders in the Benelux and other regions. VARIODRIVE has been carefully selected by ACS:

“The type of motion control applications that align well with our products are inherently very challenging. We have an extensive product lineup, and many different factors determine the optimal product for a specific application. Of course, we support our partners in making that choice, but to effectively implement our products, the motion control expertise of our partners needs to be of a very high level.

This expertise also encompasses their knowledge of our software capabilities and algorithms, which increasingly make a difference with our products. Our programming library, for instance, is quite extensive, and we offer powerful simulation tools that are of great value to machine builders during development and deployment. Machine builders are gaining more flexibility as a result and can bring machines to the market faster.”

High-Precision EtherCAT Servo Drives

In recent years, ACS Motion Control has expanded its product range to serve a wider range of applications:

“We have been an early adopter of EtherCAT and have been using this industrial network technology as the backbone of our motion controller ecosystem for over 10 years now. There are many machine builders who want to use other EtherCAT-based controllers and require advanced high-precision (sub-micron to sub-nanometer resolution) servo control. That’s why we have launched a series of ‘Intelligent Drive Module’ servo drives that communicate via EtherCAT with controllers from other brands. These products bring our high-precision servo drive expertise to a wider range of systems.

We invest significantly in advanced control algorithms to get closer and closer to the desired motion. This leads to increased throughput of machines. Additionally, we invest in unlocking data for machine control systems. Our products can provide data and information that enable functionalities like predictive maintenance and other Industry 4.0 features. With ACS controllers, a machine builder needs to write less extensive code to make their motion control application more intelligent.”

Ease of use

“In the past 5 years, ACS has grown significantly. I believe we are a leading brand in the field of high-precision motion control and continue to strengthen our position. This brings me back to the simulation tools and software we invest so much in; they make achieving high-precision motion control less challenging. This is becoming increasingly important because the number of engineers specializing in high-precision motion control may not necessarily be growing, yet the complexity of its applications continues to increase. The value of controllers that can reduce or simplify complexity is becoming more valuable. ACS aims to add value to OEMs by addressing many of the challenges associated with high-precision motion.”

VARIODRIVE offers the complete product range of ACS Motion Control in the Benelux and provides support in design, simulation, assembly, programming, and maintenance. Interested in learning how a collaboration with ACS and VARIODRIVE could benefit your organization? Reach out via sales@variodrive.nl or call +31 186636280 to schedule a meeting.