A control device, linear drive, production- or packaging machine, computer program product and method for controlling movement of at least one rotor in the linear drive, wherein a user or a machine station specifies the movement pattern to the control device to specify the movement, where the specified movement pattern is associated with virtual axes, particularly via the computer program product, the movement pattern is advantageously automatically associated with virtual axes subsequently associated with real axes, a control unit, i.e., a converter, controls movement of the rotor on the segment of the linear drive and the control unit supplies at least one segment with electrical voltage or current, where the segments as part of the linear drive therefore move the rotors in accordance with the specifications of the movement pattern, where such an association occurs automatically, and the user is relieved of this task during specification of the movement pattern.

A control device, linear drive, production- or packaging machine, computer program product and method for controlling movement of at least one rotor in the linear drive, wherein a user or a machine station specifies the movement pattern to the control device to specify the movement, where the specified movement pattern is associated with virtual axes, particularly via the computer program product, the movement pattern is advantageously automatically associated with virtual axes subsequently associated with real axes, a control unit, i.e., a converter, controls movement of the rotor on the segment of the linear drive and the control unit supplies at least one segment with electrical voltage or current, where the segments as part of the linear drive therefore move the rotors in accordance with the specifications of the movement pattern, where such an association occurs automatically, and the user is relieved of this task during specification of the movement pattern.

A method for moving a rotor onto a segment, a linear drive, a production machine, a machine tool, and a packaging machine comprising such a linear drive, wherein the actual speed of the rotor is ascertained using a sensor paired with the segment when the rotor is moved onto the segment, where the actual speed is selected by a control unit as the first target speed for the rotor, and after the target speed has been determined for the rotor, the regulation of the actual speed is activated for the rotor, and where the actual speed of the rotor is then regulated in accordance with a conventional rule, wherein a rule variable is the ascertained actual speed and/or the position of the rotor such that jerking or an undesired acceleration is prevented during transition of the rotor onto the segment.

An independent cart system with safety functions that prevent unintended motion independently within different sections of the track while permitting motion along other sections of the track is disclosed. A safety controller receives one or more input signals corresponding to operating conditions along the track. A safety program executing in the safety controller monitors the state of the input signals to determine whether a safety function is to be executed. When a safety program is executed, the safety controller transmits an output signal to one or more segment controllers present in one section along the track. Each segment controller is responsible for regulating current flow to the coils mounted to the corresponding track segment. In response to the signal from the safety controller, each segment controller in the section controls the power output to the coils along that section of track to achieve the safe operation desired in that segment.

A linear motor system includes a track and at least one movable member coupled to the track and configured to move along the track. The at least one movable member includes a first element, a second element relatively movable with respect to the first element, and at least one movement detector configured to transmit a movement signal. A processing unit is configured to calculate a movement of the movable member, the second element and/or the first element as a function of the movement signal received from the movement detector.

A linear motor system includes a track and at least one movable member coupled to the track and configured to move along the track. The at least one movable member includes a first element, a second element relatively movable with respect to the first element, and at least one movement detector configured to transmit a movement signal, wherein the movement detector comprises at least one magnet positioned at one of the first or second element, and at least one magnetometer positioned at the other of the first or the second element. The linear motor system also includes a processing unit configured to calculate a movement of the second element with respect to the first element as a function of the movement signal received from the movement detector.

A control device, linear drive, production- or packaging machine, computer program product and method for controlling movement of at least one rotor in the linear drive, wherein a user or a machine station specifies the movement pattern to the control device to specify the movement, where the specified movement pattern is associated with virtual axes, particularly via the computer program product, the movement pattern is advantageously automatically associated with virtual axes subsequently associated with real axes, a control unit, i.e., a converter, controls movement of the rotor on the segment of the linear drive and the control unit supplies at least one segment with electrical voltage or current, where the segments as part of the linear drive therefore move the rotors in accordance with the specifications of the movement pattern, where such an association occurs automatically, and the user is relieved of this task during specification of the movement pattern.

A method for moving a rotor onto a segment, a linear drive, a production machine, a machine tool, and a packaging machine comprising such a linear drive, wherein the actual speed of the rotor is ascertained using a sensor paired with the segment when the rotor is moved onto the segment, where the actual speed is selected by a control unit as the first target speed for the rotor, and after the target speed has been determined for the rotor, the regulation of the actual speed is activated for the rotor, and where the actual speed of the rotor is then regulated in accordance with a conventional rule, wherein a rule variable is the ascertained actual speed and/or the position of the rotor such that jerking or an undesired acceleration is prevented during transition of the rotor onto the segment.

A method for open-loop and/or closed-loop control of a linear drive, a linear drive; and a system, wherein the linear drive includes at least one segment, at least one rotor, at least one machine station and a control device, where the at least one rotor is moved in a direction via the at least one segment, at least a portion of at least one segment is within a region accessible by the machine station, the movement of the at least one rotor is controlled in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner by the control device and/or control unit, the controlling occurs in accordance with a movement pattern for the rotor, and where the movement of a particular rotor in the region accessible by the associated machine station is specified by a movement profile in accordance with the mode of operation of the associated machine station.

In an electromagnetic transport system, a transport route is divided into transport sections, each including at least one transport segment. A section control unit is assigned to each transport section, and a segment controller is assigned to each transport segment. A logistics unit, specifies a destination of the transport units to section control units via the logistics network. Section control units are connected to segment controllers of associated transport segments via a segment network and are designed to: determine a track section for the associated transport section from the destination, determine target values using the track section and transmit the target values to the segment controllers via the segment network. Segment controllers supply current to drive coils using target values and occurring actual values to generate a magnetic field which interacts with drive magnets of the transport units to move the transport units.