Glossary · Motion control and drives
Electronic gearing
Also known as: E-gear, Electronic gear
German: Elektronisches Getriebe
In motion control, electronic gearing is an axis coupling in which a slave axis follows the position or velocity of a master axis with a fixed, programmable ratio, replacing a mechanical gearbox or line shaft.
- Motion control
In one sentence
Electronic gearing couples a slave axis to a master axis at a fixed, programmable ratio, replacing mechanical gears or line shafts.
Example
On a printing press, each printing unit follows the virtual master axis via electronic gearing, and the ratio changes with the print format.
How it applies
- Engineering: The ratio is set as numerator and denominator to avoid rounding drift. Engagement can be immediate or ramped.
- Commissioning: Following errors between master and slave are checked at different speeds; communication timing and loop tuning affect them.
- Operation: Ratios can be changed by recipe or operator entry within defined limits.
- Documentation: Document which ratio values are allowed, where they are entered, and what happens if the master stops or faults. In PLCopen, gearing is commanded with a dedicated function block, which helps name functions consistently in software documentation.
Electronic gearing vs. mechanical gearbox
A mechanical gearbox fixes the ratio and transmits torque physically. Electronic gearing keeps separate motors and couples them in the controller, so the ratio is flexible but depends on the controller and network working correctly.