Single axis control

[Dick L.]

I have an application which is od grinding being done on an older relay logic machine. It has a rack and pinion table ocsilation, rotation of the spindle and advance of the grinding wheel as motion. The only one I need to have precise is the wheel advance. I'm looking for a controller that I can interface with a PLC that will control that one axis with a servo motor and ball screw while receiving outputs from the PLC . A single canned cycle to rapid to start diameter , then take passes across stepping in each time until reaching a finished diameter size with say 1 or 2 spark out passes.
Does anyone have experience with a controller as simple as this.

Thanks for any input you can provide,

Dick

[Al_The_Man]

There many, or at least several way of achieving this, do you want a stand alone system, or one that is PC based?
If you want to replace the older relay logic and control as well as servo control, then a stand alone PLC may be the answer as it covers both bases.
Most PLC's have a servo card option.
Also depends on what technology your are most familiar with and the degree of programming you can do.
Al.

[Dick L.]

Al, There is no control really. It is just a start button and that fires the first timer and relay to drive the motor advancing the spinde etc. It continues through relay logig until the final limit is reached stopping ocsilation at an end and rapiding away to the start position. PLC would be my thought but I would need to have a control in pendant form or a box with a digital readout for position of that one axis and someplace to enter data for the cycle. I don't know that level of programming .

Dick

[Al_The_Man]

Most PLC's have allowance for a small keypad and 2 line display for operator entry.
It may be hard to find something that is off the shelf, so some programming is going to be inevitable, whatever system is decided on.
There is also Mach or Dynomotion but both are a bit of overkill.
Al.