Sep 13, 2023

Launching the servo system MINAS A7 Family that has achieved the industry's highest^*2 motion performance^[1]

Panasonic Industry Commercializes the Industry's First^*1 AI-equipped Servo System, Reducing Human Operation Time by 90%

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kadoma-shi, Osaka; Representative Director, President, CEO: Shinji Sakamoto) announced today that it has commercialized the MINAS A7 Family servo system, which has achieved the industry's highest^*2 degree of motion performance and is equipped with AI that automatically performs precise tuning superior to that done by human experts for the first time^*1 in the industry. The product will be launched in January 2024 in Japan, followed by a global rollout.

*1: As of the commercialization of general-purpose servo system in September 13, 2023. Panasonic Industry data.

*2: As of September 13, 2023, as a servo motor (output: 200 W) and servo amplifier (output: 200 W). Panasonic Industry data.

Technology for automating servo motor tuning has been evolving. However, conventional automatic tuning was unable to achieve satisfactory results for equipment that requires ultraprecise positioning performance, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronic component mounting machines. These things required sophisticated manual tuning skills achieved by engineers recognized as experts.

This product automates such precise tuning work, previously only attainable by human experts, by fully leveraging AI technology. It has become possible to reduce the positioning settling time^[2], which is an indicator of positioning performance, by 45%^*3 (compared to previous human results), and operation time required for tuning by 90% or more^*4.

*3: Measurements under Panasonic's experimental environment. Measured settling time until the positioning deviation converged to the predetermined positioning range.

*4: Measurements under Panasonic's experimental environment. Measured tuning operation time until the positioning deviation converged to the predetermined positioning range.

In addition, the speed response frequency^[3], which is the basic performance of servo system, is the industry's highest^*1 at 4.0 kHz or more (1.25 times^*5 that of Panasonic's conventional product), and the encoder resolution^[4] is the industry's highest^*1 at 27 bits (134,217,728 pulses/rotation). These results will contribute to the improvement of equipment performance.

*5: Compared to Panasonic's conventional MINAS A6 series servo motor (output: 200 W). Panasonic Industry data.

Panasonic Industry will contribute to the improvement of the performance of customer equipment and, at the same time, the realization of energy saving through reduced waste due to the inferior quality of products manufactured by such equipment, and improved equipment cycle time^[5].

The servo system MINAS A7 Family has the following features:

1. Industry's first^*1 commercialized AI-equipped servo system. Achieves precise automatic tuning superior to that done by human experts, thereby reducing operation time by 90%

2. Achieves the industry's highest^*2 level motion performance

3. The application-specialized servo amplifier effortlessly achieves high-precision control

Product features:

1. The industry's first^*1 commercialized AI-equipped servo system, which achieves precise automatic tuning superior to that done by human experts, thereby reducing operation time by 90%

image: AI-based automation of ultraprecise tuning superior to those done by experts

Panasonic's independently developed precAIse TUNING, which makes full use of AI technology, achieves precise automatic tuning. It even automates tasks in areas where experts used to spend time tuning manually due to unsatisfactory performance from conventional automatic tuning functions.

Equipment that requires ultraprecise positioning accuracy, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronic component mounting machines, requires tuning that precisely regulates the vast number of parameters for each individual piece of equipment’s characteristics. This necessitated the sophisticated knowledge, senses, and skills of expert engineers.
In addition, there are some cases where even such experts require several days to a week to achieve the required performance. Equipped with precAIse TUNING, this product automates precise tuning that was previously performed manually by experts to enable users to achieve positioning superior performance through simple initial settings.
The settling time for positioning, which is an indicator of positioning performance, is reduced by 45% compared to experts' results, and operation time required for tuning are reduced by 90% or more.

The equipment utilizing AI reduces the human tuning work time by 90%

〈Comparison of tuning results performed by a human expert and AI-based automatic tuning〉

The equipment of AI reduces the positioning settling time by 45%

2. Achieves the industry's highest^*2 level of motion performance

It achieves the encoder resolution of the servo motor with 27 bits (134,217,728 pulses/time), an industry high. The speed response frequency, which indicates the control performance of servo amplifiers, reaches an industry high of 4.0 kHz or greater (1.25 times that of Panasonic's conventional product). These results will contribute to the improvement of the positioning and processing accuracy of customers’ equipment. Furthermore, the servo motor has achieved a maximum rotation speed of 7,150 r/min. The improvement of the operating speed for equipment will contribute to shorter cycle times.

3. The application-specialized servo amplifier effortlessly achieves high-precision control

Normally, the control of servo motors requires complex control programs in controllers, such as PLCs. The sensor direct feedback (displacement control) type servo amplifier adopted for this product improves the system's responsiveness from the input of the sensor to the output to the servo motor, wherein the amplifier itself directly captures sensor data without going through controllers. Eliminating the need for creating complex control programs for controllers enables high-speed and high-precision control. This will contribute to the reduction of man-hours for customer program development.
In the future, Panasonic Industry plans to sequentially expand the lineup of application-specialized servo amplifiers, such as high-precision gantry control type and sensor direct feedback (pressure control) type products.

Suitable applications:

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, electronic components mounting machines, machine tools, industrial robots, and more

Basic specifications:

Power supply	Single-phase 100 V AC, Single-phase/three-phase 200 V AC [A product powered by three-phase 400 V AC will be sequentially released in the future]
Motor rated output	200 W and 400 W [Lineup to be expanded in the future]
Control command method	EtherCAT communication (Series name: A7B series) RTEX communication (Series name: A7N series) [In the future, there are plans to sequentially release servo system series products that support analog, pulse train, and Modbus communications]
Application-specialized servo amplifiers	Sensor direct feedback (displacement control) [There are plans to sequentially expand the lineup, such as adding high-precision gantry control type and sensor direct feedback (pressure control) type products]

[Manufacturing base]

With an eye on strengthening global production systems, production will take place in the Tatsuno Factory in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan in addition to the Zhuhai Factory in Guangdong, China, which is the current manufacturing base of our servo system.

Term Descriptions:

[1] Motion performance
Performance related to responsiveness and positioning accuracy, which are indicators for servo system evaluation. Performance is generally evaluated based on speed response frequencies. Basic specifications such as encoder resolution are elements that result from speed response frequencies.

[2] Positioning settling time
The elapsed time from the completion of the positioning command until the target positioning range, which is determined by the required accuracy, is achieved.

[3] Speed response frequency
An indicator of how quickly a motor can respond to a given speed command. The larger the frequency value, the higher the control performance of the motor.

[4] Encoder resolution
The number of pulses output per motor rotation. The larger the value, the higher the accuracy of the encoder.

[5] Cycle time
Actual time required to manufacture one product. It is expressed as an equation of the regular operating time break time per day, divided by the actual daily production quantity.

Detailed information:

https://ac-blog.panasonic.com/e/motor/fa-motor/ac-servo/a7/special/top

Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd. Website:

https://www.panasonic.com/global/industry/

Click here for the Chinese press release:

搭载 AI 的次世代伺服系统产品，人工作业时间减少九成

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About Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd. was established on April 1, 2022 as an operating company in charge of the device business within the Panasonic Group in line with its shift to an operating company system. The mission of the company states that "We will open the way to a better future and continue to contribute to an affluent society through a variety of device technologies." On a global basis, the company has about 42,000 employees and achieved net sales of 1,149.9 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023. Against the backdrop of a labor shortage in manufacturing, the explosion of data with the rise of the information-based society, and greater demands for the environment and safety for the mobility society, the company will focus on areas where ongoing evolution is required and continue to provide customer value with distinctive features of unique material and process technologies such as capacitors, compact servomotors, EV relays, and electronic materials. Learn more about Panasonic Industry at https://www.panasonic.com/global/industry.

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