Robust motion control and trajectory planning for planar laser cutting system

A laser cutting system must be well designed regarding the overall system performance thus assuring the required tolerance of a workpiece. The original solution of the mechanical construction and the use of low cost mechanical components results in a non-rigid system. Since non-rigid mechanics complicate the control of the system, the combination of advanced controllers and smooth trajectory planning algorithms has to be used. A new advanced robust continuous sliding mode controller used for the control of non-rigid systems and the algorithms for the smooth trajectory planning modified in order to avoid resonance frequencies and ensure timely deceleration in order to stop the machine without braking are described, together with some experimental results on the industrial application of an X-Y table.