Why Machine Builders Are Choosing Motion Control Simplicity Over Complexity
Key Highlights
- 80% of applications use only basic features, yet many OEMs over-specify motion systems with unused capabilities that add engineering overhead, configuration time and inventory costs.
- Multi-protocol servo drives enable global flexibility by enabling the same hardware to operate across EtherCAT, Profinet and EtherNet/IP networks.
- Open interoperability strengthens supply chain resilience because it allows machine builders to mix technology partners and respond quickly to component delays.
When it comes to automation systems, complexity tends to grow faster than performance. Each new generation of machines promises higher precision, greater flexibility, and faster commissioning. But the reality is that these ambitions often translate into more wiring, more configuration and more integration headaches.
The result is a development cycle that’s harder to control at a time when customers expect shorter lead times and lower costs.
That’s the challenge facing today’s machine builders. They’re under pressure to deliver high-performing systems in record time while navigating unpredictable supply chains, competing global standards and shifting component availability.
In this environment, the biggest advances don’t always come from adding new features or exotic capabilities, but from rethinking the fundamentals.
Three key ideas are core to OEMs looking to make this shift:
- Right sizing. Ensuring that systems include only the functions and features that add value, rather than paying for capabilities that will never be used.
- Openness. Creating motion systems that can connect freely across different controllers, protocols and markets without locking users into closed ecosystems.
- Resilience. Designing equipment that can be built and supported reliably, even amid global uncertainty.
For OEMs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the best way to meet the challenges of tomorrow is to jam every piece of technology possible into your system.
Together, these principles define a new approach to motion control; one where flexibility, reliability and simplicity are not in conflict, but part of the same design philosophy.
The cost of unnecessary complexity
In the effort to design flexible machines, many OEMs end up over-specifying their motion systems. They select servo drives and motors packed with advanced features that have plenty of potential benefits in theory but, in practice, will never be used.
The motivation behind this is understandable. Buying the “top-end” option can seem like a safe hedge against future requirements and edge-cases.
However, this approach carries hidden and, sometimes, not-so-hidden costs. Each unused feature adds overheads in engineering effort, configuration time and inventory management.
Over-specified systems also tend to demand more from the control environment — from safety validation to thermal management. Multiply that by dozens of axes and the cost of complexity can become a serious drag on development efficiency and real-world usage.
Open systems also make it easier to mix and match technology partners. Drives and motors can come from one supplier, PLCs and HMIs from another. So long as everyone speaks the same language through standardized communication layers, they can work together effectively.
In our experience, we’ve found that around 80% of applications only use a relatively basic set of essential features. That’s why we believe a more effective design strategy is to take a modular view of machine design. In other words, choosing motion components that deliver exactly the capabilities required for a given task without the excess.
This “right-sizing” philosophy is gaining traction and can be seen in the growing demand for servo platforms that can address most applications with standardized, streamlined options.
By eliminating unnecessary features and focusing on what most users actually need, machine builders can simplify their engineering process and improve time to market, while still meeting demanding performance standards.
Open systems, not closed ecosystems
Many control platforms form what can only be described as closed ecosystems, where the controller, drives, software and even cabling are designed to work only with each other.
In theory, this ensures compatibility. In practice, however, it often creates inefficiencies. It ties machine builders to a single vendor, restricting flexibility and creating difficulties when supply issues arise or when a customer prefers a different PLC environment.
A more open, interoperable approach is now emerging, one that aims to give OEMs more freedom without sacrificing reliability. Multi-protocol servo drives, for instance, can operate across EtherCAT, Profinet and EtherNet/IP networks through simple software configuration rather than hardware changes. This allows the same drive and motor platform to integrate with a range of controllers and fieldbus architectures, regardless of geography or customer preference.
For global machine builders, that’s a major advantage. A machine designed for one market can be deployed in another without reworking the control architecture or maintaining separate bills of materials for each protocol. This simplifies certification, reduces engineering overheads and improves long-term serviceability.
Open systems also make it easier to mix and match technology partners. Drives and motors can come from one supplier, PLCs and HMIs from another. So long as everyone speaks the same language through standardized communication layers, they can work together effectively.
This not only helps to simplify set-up and avoid compatibility issues, but it also helps OEMs build resilient systems and respond quickly when components are scarce or delayed. Addressing such supply chain issues is now front-of-mind for many businesses after the disruptions we’ve seen in recent years.
In the effort to design flexible machines, many OEMs end up over-specifying their motion systems. They select servo drives and motors packed with advanced features that have plenty of potential benefits in theory but, in practice, will never be used.
For machine builders, the value of openness and simplicity goes beyond convenience. It enables better business decisions. When hardware can be deployed across multiple regions and control architectures, inventory management becomes easier. When drive systems are available from stock with predictable lead times, project planning becomes more reliable. And when software tools minimize the risk of setup errors, commissioning becomes faster and more consistent across teams and sites.
A shift in industry’s approach
For all these reasons, the industry is beginning to undergo a quiet shift in mindset. The old equation of “more features = more capability” is giving way to something more nuanced. Enough features, applied intelligently, equals better outcomes.
Manufacturers like Kollmorgen have responded to this change by developing servo platforms built around the essential features most users need, rather than every feature imaginable. Systems like the Kollmorgen Essentials range reflect a pragmatic approach to automation: maintaining high-quality performance and global interoperability while trimming away unnecessary complexity.
The result isn’t a compromise, but rather a recalibration. It’s about recognizing that not every axis needs to be over-engineered, not every machine needs bespoke integration and not every component needs to be tied to a single ecosystem.
For OEMs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the best way to meet the challenges of tomorrow is to jam every piece of technology possible into your system. However, the smartest progress often comes from simplifying rather than adding.
By focusing on openness, resilience and right-sized design, machine builders can achieve faster development, lower cost and greater confidence in their systems, even as the world around them becomes more complex.
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About the Author
Nicola Pezzolato
Nicola Pezzolato is application engineering leader EMEA at Kollmorgen.
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