In the field of laser cutting, the choice of control system directly affects the accuracy, stability and production efficiency of the equipment. As traditional pulse control gradually reveals its defects, EtherCAT control has become the first choice for high-end manufacturing. Today we will analyze the EtherCAT control system developed by Zhiyuan(Shenyan) from four dimensions, reveal why EtherCAT control is used instead of pulse control, and compare the differences between the two in detail!
In traditional pulse control, dual-drive gantry systems rely on matching pulse frequencies. However, signal delays and motor response discrepancies often cause beam distortion. At high speeds, this can lead to jerky motion or even step loss. A more critical drawback is that motor position data is lost after a power outage, requiring manual re-homing, which is time-consuming and prone to error.
In contrast, EtherCAT control enables real-time feedback from encoders on both motors, dynamically adjusting torque distribution to maintain synchronization. Even at speeds of 2000 mm/s, the synchronization error can be kept within ±3μm. After a power loss, the system performs automatic position correction, allowing for immediate resumption without manual intervention. This greatly reduces the risk of material waste due to step loss, which is common with pulse systems.
The internal electromagnetic environment of a laser cutting machine is highly complex, making the shortcomings of pulse control systems increasingly apparent:
Each axis requires separate pulse, direction, and enable signal lines, resulting in a large number of cables. This increases the risk of electromagnetic noise coupling and pulse signal loss.
Long-distance transmission requires additional shielded wiring, increasing cost and maintenance difficulty.
In contrast, EtherCAT control systems only require a single shielded twisted pair cable to daisy-chain all devices. This setup provides exceptional anti-interference performance, thanks to features like CRC error checking and retransmission mechanisms.
Compared to a traditional 4-axis pulse system that needs up to 16 signal lines, EtherCAT control reduces wiring by 90%, significantly shortens assembly time, lowers failure rates by 60%, and greatly improves system stability.
Pulse control systems can only send commands unidirectionally, leaving motor status in a “blind zone.” Troubleshooting relies heavily on manual experience, making downtime risks high and maintenance inefficient. In contrast, EtherCAT control enables full-duplex communication, allowing real-time access to motor status and system parameters. It supports smart fault prediction and adaptive control, with the following key advantages: Full lifecycle data logging for motors and axes.
Cloud-based historical data integration for traceability of motion conditions at any moment during processing Rapid recovery after power outages, minimizing production downtime.This level of intelligence enhances reliability and reduces maintenance costs significantly—marking a major upgrade over legacy pulse systems.
With pulse control, any parameter adjustment typically requires a machine reboot, making it difficult to support rapid switching between different materials or processing methods.
EtherCAT control, on the other hand, can be integrated with a cloud-based process library, allowing users to instantly load pre-defined cutting profiles with a single click. This ensures efficient adaptation to small-batch and customized production demands—greatly enhancing flexibility and productivity on the shop floor.
EtherCAT Control Enables Full Closed-Loop Feedback for Superior Precision .EtherCAT control systems achieve triple-layered control—position, speed, and torque—through a full closed-loop feedback mechanism (Encoder → Driver → Controller).
In contrast, pulse control is either open-loop or semi-closed-loop, requiring additional feedback modules to approximate similar performance.High-end laser cutting machines now integrate dual absolute encoder redundancy (mounted on both the motor side and load side), effectively eliminating transmission chain errors. This advanced design ensures gantry auto-correction accuracy within ±1μm, delivering exceptional precision and reliability in demanding applications.
EtherCAT control has become a rigid requirement for high-end manufacturing: Although pulse control is low-cost, it is difficult to meet the needs of high-speed, high-precision and intelligent production. EtherCAT control is redefining the efficiency ceiling of laser cutting through the four advantages of high-precision synchronization, anti-interference wiring, real-time monitoring and flexible production!
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