Page 20 - Annual Report_AMTDC-2018-19new

AMTDC 2018 - 2019

9. Development of 5kW Axis Drives and 25kW Spindle Drives for

Machine Tool Applications

AMTDC (IIT-Madras) team: S. Jeyakumar, Amrutha. K. Haridass, Arjun Sarathy,

Rino Nelson, Krishna Vasudevan

Industry Partner: Interface Design Associates Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai

Project Highlights

The global market for machine tool drives is dominated by Siemens, Fanuc and
Mitsubishi. CNC machine tools use electric servo drives to control the spindle rotation and
movements of the linear axes. The objective of this project is to develop a 5kW axis drive and
25 kW spindle drive for machine tool application with better speed and position control. These
are high precision servo drives with high torque/speed capabilities and fast response. Such

machine drives with robust control algorithm ensure precision in machining regardless of
mechanical and electrical disturbances and communication between the Drive Controller and
the Main Machine Controller, in addition to improving the efficiency and serviceability. These
drives can be incorporated in machine tools widely used in aerospace, defense, power
generation, oil and gas and healthcare industries. The price of the developed drive is expected
to be 20-30% lower than imported drives.

Current Status
The prototype of the drives is undergoing development and will be integrated in the
CNC Vertical Machining Center. The assembled machine will undergo rigorous testing to
compare its performance with imported equivalents. The project is likely to be completed by
September 2019. The drives once developed will substitute imported drives. Patent can be
filed on the control algorithm to achieve better speed and position control.

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