The control of high-speed machines

The market for industrial machinery is driven by increased product throughput, greater application flexibility and the expectation of decreasing purchase price and operating cost. As we move into the 21st century, there is little doubt this trend will encourage the development of integrated high-performance mechatronic systems. This article follows the theme of high-speed machinery control through examples taken from a DTI Link programme and from the requirements of high-performance vacuum pumping systems for the semiconductor and instrumentation industries. It uses these examples to highlight the challenges of managing collaborative research involving academic and industrial partners and the ever more important theme of fast-to-market product development.