Neural Network-Based System Identification and Controller Synthesis for an Industrial Sewing Machine

The purpose of this paper is to obtain an accurate nonlinear system model to test various control schemes for a motion control system that requires high speed, robustness and accuracy. An industrial sewing machine equipped with a Brushless DC motor is considered. It is modeled by a neural network that is configured as an output-error dynamical system. The identified model is essentially a one step ahead prediction structure in which past inputs and outputs are used to calculate the current output. Using the model, a 2 degree-of-freedom PID controller to compensate the effects of disturbance without degrading tracking performance has been de-signed. In this experiment, it is not preferable for safety reasons to tune the controller online on the actual machinery. Experimental results confirm that the model is a good approximation of sewing machine dynamics and that the proposed control methodology is effective.