A workbench for motion control experiments using programmable automation controllers in industrial automation laboratory at Kongu Engineering College

Mechatronics Engineering has become an internationally recognized discipline with degree programmes offered in majority of the universities all around the world. Integrating mechanical, instrumentation, and programmable automation controller (PAC) for developing technical skills and expertise in system level integration to attain manufacturing and controller programming superiority has become the basic requirement for Mechatronics Laboratory. Divulging the graduates to servo control concept down the line to the programmable automation controller helps to gain the practical knowledge in the field of I/O interfacing, closed loop control, remote monitoring, and PLC motion control programming. Hence in this paper, a 3-axis servo control system with HMI work bench case study has been presented to enable the graduates to learn multi-disciplinary concepts in the field of material handling and precise position synchronous control of multi-axis rotating system. With this work bench, applications of servo control such as electronic gearing (positioning), pick and place (material handling), and profiling (welding, machining) can be exposed to mechatronics graduates. Graduates with fundamental programming skills and apparently no-practical experience with mechatronics systems can quickly learn how to incorporate control architectures with this work bench and prepare them to compete in Industry 4.0 environment.