Good afternoon! It has been quite some time since I last worked with Siemens. Could you please provide me with the name of Siemens' servo product line and the software they use? Is it the Siemens TIA Portal Software? How does it compare to Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000, particularly in terms of motion control like the Kinetix Product Line? Thank you for your help, and I hope you have a fantastic week.
Siemens servo drives are known as Sinamics S series, which includes models such as S120, S200, and S210. These drives are configured using Startdrive software, although Starter software can still be used for the S120 model. Startdrive can be integrated with TIA Portal or utilized as a standalone tool. For further information, a quick search online will provide more details. Feel free to explore the numerous responses related to this topic in the thread.
Take my experience with a grain of salt. I have been working with motion control systems for decades, starting with Parker in the 1990s, transitioning to Yaskawa in the late 90s and mid-2000s, and currently using Kinetix for the past 15 years. Recently, I've had the opportunity to work with Siemens systems, and I found it to be a completely new challenge. It felt like trying to program assembly language for the first time. While I believe that with time and some tutorials I could become proficient, I didn't find it intuitive at all. It was a bit daunting for me to navigate and understand. I understand that those familiar with Siemens systems may feel the same way about Rockwell systems. However, as someone who has worked with various control systems over the past 30 years, the differences were quite pronounced for me.
Years ago, around 2000/2001, an intriguing project came my way involving the refurbishment of a valve grinding machine. I was contracted for the job on the recommendation of Siemens. The system utilized an S7 PLC with Siemens motion drives. While I wasn't present for the initial installation of the drive code by Siemens engineers, I was called in when the original engineer was on vacation. It turned out that they had converted an old S5 program to S7, but encountered issues as the S5 utilized a sequence function that did not convert smoothly, resulting in an empty FB. The Siemens special block in the S5 was protected and had no equivalent in the S7 system, leading to technical difficulties. However, after a few hours of work, I managed to get the machine up and running smoothly by creating the necessary sequence. The Siemens engineer informed me that the FBs for the drive had just been developed the prior week and were not fully tested or protected. It appeared that the drive function I worked on was one of the few unprotected ones. The Siemens blocks proved to be effective, with the engineer providing me with a list of relevant data areas to manipulate. The process involved simple calculations for the valve handling, including setting a teach position for grinding start, incremental movements of the drive after each operation, and periodic dressing of the grinding wheel by the dressing wheel. The valve handling included straightforward operations such as linear feeding, valve placement into jaws, and ejection. Overall, it required basic mathematical calculations to determine positions and ensure smooth operation of the machine.
Parky shared an interesting memory from the early 2000s when he was involved in refurbishing a valve grinding machine recommended by Siemens. The system featured an S7 PLC with Siemens motion drives, which had been converted from an old S5 program. Despite encountering some issues with sequence functions during the installation, Parky was able to quickly get the machine up and running by creating the necessary sequences. The Siemens engineer mentioned that the drive's function blocks were new and had just been completed the previous week, leaving them unprotected. This allowed Parky to manipulate the relevant data areas and control the valve handling with simple math calculations. Overall, the project required a basic understanding of how Siemens drives operate and the ability to adjust positions for grinding and dressing processes. It's intriguing to think about the blocks used in this project - were they custom-made or part of a library? The timeline suggests they were neither Masterdrives nor Sinamics, but rather an early iteration of Siemens drives that required a hands-on approach to programming and operation.
Inquiring about the type of blocks used, whether custom or from a library, at that particular date seems to be too late for Masterdrives and 611, and too early for Sinamics Siemens drives. Siemens drives have versatile capabilities, but mastering how to utilize them is key as they are engineered for engineers. It appears that the 611 U drives came before Masterdrives and Masterdrives MC, which involved Motion Control with additional cards. It is possible that Masterdrives MC were used with S7-300's based on the timeline indicated. Just a wild guess!
Hello! Siemens' servo product line is typically referred to as Sinamics and they indeed use Siemens TIA Portal for their automation and motion control. It's a robust and integrated engineering framework. Now, comparing it to Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000, both are efficient but they each have their nuances. TIA Portal is more common in Europe and supports a wide array of devices, but its user interface may not be as intuitive to some. On the contrary, Studio 5000 is prevalent in North America and many find its environment more user-friendly. In terms of motion control, Siemens Sinamics may offer a higher level of precision compared to Rockwell's Kinetix, but both are highly dependable. Hope this helps and have a great week!
Hello there! Yes, you're spot-on about the Siemens TIA Portal. It is the software used in conjunction with Siemens' SINAMICS servo drives and SIMOTICS motors which form their primary servo product line. As for the comparison with Rockwell's Studio 5000 and Kinetix servo drives, both have their strong points. But I've noticed that TIA portal simplifies integration and ensures transparency across the entire lifecycle due to its total integration concept, thus making it a bit easier to use overall. However, I suggest experimenting with both and determining which one best caters to your specific needs. Wishing you a great week, too!
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Answer: - Siemens' servo product line is known as SIMATIC and they use the TIA Portal Software for programming and configuring their servo systems.
Answer: - Siemens' TIA Portal Software offers comprehensive motion control capabilities similar to Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000. Both software platforms are widely used for programming and configuring motion control systems.
Answer: - Siemens' SIMATIC servo product line is known for its reliability and performance, similar to Rockwell Automation's Kinetix Product Line. Both product lines offer advanced motion control solutions for various industrial applications.
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