Training opinion?

I am looking at a project where i am going to be using Motion control with control logix..I am going to be using 480v servos with resolvers built in.(harsh enviroment) using the Kinetics servo drive 6 axis..

Now i am complete NOOB at motion.. i know a little about encoders and how they work and resolvers..thats it..However i am not a dummy when it comes to this stuff..Hell i tought myself rslogix 5000 in a week..(the basics that is) and i can usualy pick things up pretty quick..i also have drive so working away till 2 or 3 in the morning till i understand stuff is not uncommon (Much to the wifes disgust!)

Question is i am looking at RA's traing course number CCN142.Prog. logix 5000 motion application's using ladder logix..has anyone taken this course? is is benifitial? They say the prereq. is basic use of motion..Is that true or can someone with half a brain catch up??

Thanks

D

I'm not familiar with the course - is it 1 week?
You could probably learn it on your own, but it would take longer. If it's a typical course, the first few days will be slow-paced, picking up on Thursday, party Thur night, all the interesting complex stuff on Friday morning and send you home after lunch just as your hangover is subsiding.

But you will need some sort of initial help to set you off in the right direction and the course is probably your best bet. I wouldn't be too worried about the pre-req.

Getting a good handle on the subject will take time and experience - no substitute for it.

There's a number of regulars on this site with the experience to help you over the humps - I have been working with ControlLogix and motion control for the past 6 years.

I hope someone experienced and knowledgeable has done the sizing of the motors, drives and gearing for your project - that part in itself is worthy of a course.

My first motion project was done before I had any training (3 real axis, one of which was geared to a virtual axis). I got through it all right but not without some cursing and swearing. If you have the time get the training, you'll write much better code and its time well spent. The CLX excells at motion control, but there are a few "gotchas" to watch out for.

Some guys have ALL the luck. I would LOVE to have a nice CLX motion control job like this!

I agree though if you are a noob at motion then in all likelihood the training course will be time well spent.

First, a disclosure...I create training for Rockwell Automation products (not the course in question, however).

The course in question is a three-day course that gives instruction and hands-on practice using both the Ultra 100 analog drive and the Kinetix 6000 SERCOS drive. From the sound of your background, it sounds like your background should help meet the basic motion prerequisite.

If you want more information on this course, access this link http://domino.automation.rockwell.com/applications/gs/region/gtswebst.nsf/pages/Training , click the icon on the top right corner of the page corresponding to the North American course schedule you want to search (U.S. or Canada), and then search for CCN142.

Regards,
Rick

My disclosure: I taught that exact class last week.

We only had three students, which was handy because the demos had a hard trip and only one functioned correctly (FedEX delivered the *handle* of one demo, with the shipping tag connected). Fortunately we were able to repair the smashed parts in short order.

You're going to want to understand the basics of servo motion control, and have a passing understanding of torque, velocity, and position control loops. For you, Darren, that might involve a couple of nights of reading brochures and textbooks.

The course doesn't teach you everything about how to tune a servo drive to your particular application, or about the internal workings of all the control loop features (we skim over feed-forward functions and the effects of integral gains, for example); it focusses on configuring the Kinetix 6000 on SERCOS, and uses the older Ultra 100 drives as analog servo amplifiers to the standard 1756-M02AE motion module for ControlLogix.

Mostly this class includes how-to labs on configuring Motion Groups and Axes in RSLogix 5000, as well as an overview (mostly on the third day) of the fundamental motion instructions, including the disable/enable and jog instructions, the standard Motion Axis Move (MAM) workhorse instruction, and the gearing and dynamics change instructions.

It doesn't cover the co-ordinated motion instructions, nor the camming instructions.

When you're done, you will understand and have some experience with how to begin your motion application using Logix, as compared to using a standalone motion controller. You'll know how to enable and disable axes, how to perform jogs and stops and programmed moves, and how to recover programmatically when the axis inevitably trips on overtravel or following error or overtemperature.

So, don't expect this to be a Motion University with a lot of theory backing it up (it's only 3 days !), but you will certainly be able to keep up with the course's content on the use of RSLogix 5000 to configure and operation motion control axes.

Thanks all for the honest answers!..I am looking for the basics so i guess i will go ahead and give it a try. I seem to remember that its offered in Alberta in September/October time..

Thanks
Darren