Advanced Tuning for a Linear Transport System: Autotuning of Motion Control Parameters

In industry, the demand for flexible manufacturing systems encouraged the development of mechatronic systems. Traditional conveyor and handling systems often do not meet modern production requirements, motivating research into new transport solutions. In this context, this thesis, developed in collaboration with Beckhoff Automation, fo- cuses on the eXtended Transport System (XTS) that is a modular linear motor system where controlled movers travel along reconfigurable track layouts. XTS provides unprece- dented flexibility by integrating mechanical, electrical and software components into an automation environment. While the system incorporates advanced motion algorithms and automatic feedback filtering, tuning of position and velocity control parameters re- mains essential to achieve optimal performance, especially under varying payloads and trajectories. The experimental work investigates tuning strategies for XTS mover control, including manual PID adjustment and autotuning methods such as Ziegler–Nichols implemented via TwinCAT PLC functions. Tests are conducted with different payloads and motion trajectories, evaluating controller response, error minimization and system stability. The setup employs dedicated Beckhoff hardware, TwinCAT software and auxiliary tools such as load carriers and oscilloscopes for signal analysis. The results show differences between manual and automatic tuning, demonstrating that while manual approaches allow fine customization, autotuning significantly reduces commissioning effort and improves repeatability.