Step motor based servo set-up for control laboratories: Design and implementation

Hands-on training contributes develop engineering skills by giving engineering students the ability to solve problems when faced with a real problem. For this reason, in addition to the theoretical courses given in the Control and Control sub-department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, education should also be supported practically. In the control laboratory, a four-step motor servo-capable training setup was conceptually fictionalized, designed, manufactured and operated in order to show the students the components and operation of a motion control process working with the step motors. The motion-controlled training setup, which simulates the manufacturing process of welding, drilling, and screwing etc. is designed to be controlled by both a microcontroller and a programmable logic controller (PLC). Instead of the training set, which basically shows the speed and position capability of the servo motor, how to operate the servo motor, and how to take measurements, it was paid attention to design a training set to represent production processes such as drilling and screwing, etc. The training setup will provide the students studying in the control systems laboratory to gain experience in the servo controlled manufacturing process, stepper motors, drivers, belt and pulley structure, screw shafts, power supplies, limit switches, optical position sensors, developing algorithm, position control with PLC and microcontroller and creating GUI (Graphical User Interface). As a result, the training set will contribute to the students' hands-on experience in the control systems laboratory contribute to the development of the culture of engineering. As a result, it will make a meaningful contribution to the development of undergraduate students' engineering skills.