Practical implementation of a real-time iterative learning position controller

Current control methods for chain conveyor systems in manufacturing consist almost exclusively of proportional plus integral plus differential (PID) c ontrol implemented using a programmable logic controller (PLC). A prominent feature of these conveyor systems is the simplicity of their construction, a factor that can make accurate position control difficult. To improve pro duct throughput it is necessary to improve position accuracy. This paper de scribes the design and implementation of a learning controller for such a s ystem. Experimental results are presented and compared to those obtained us ing a conventional PID controller.