Motion Control Software

Axiomatic Technology Ltd grew out of research and development done by Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University) and Pacer Systems Ltd. Pacer was formed in 1985 to manufacture CNC machines for the signmaking industry, and asked Trent Polytechnic to develop the computer motion control system. Pacer staff worked closely with the Polytechnic, until 1994 when Axiomatic Technology was formed by two Polytechnic lecturers and several Pacer staff.

In the early years, the company focussed on providing a complete control system exclusively to Pacer, whilst diversifying to commercialise products that grew out of Polytechnic research. These products included software for 3D scanning objects, software for filling in forms, and software for scanning CAD drawings back into DXF files, but these products did not have a long-term future.

However, one product that did start a new focus in 1999 was a video-based people-counting system developed by a PHD student. It was trialled in a number of locations, but was not very successful as it did not adequately cope with changing light levels and shadows. It also required the most expensive PC on the market to analyse the video images!

The company then discovered Irisys Ltd, who manufactured a people-counter unit which used infra-red sensors to track people passing underneath, and this neatly solved the problems of variable lighting and shadows. Axiomatic stopped developing the low-level image-recognition side of the people-counting, and focused on the integration of bought-in counters to software that did high-level reporting and information display, and now works with a number of people-counting systems, including Irisys, Countwise and Brickstream.

In 2007, the opportunity came to buy another business, Elmech, who manufactured the successful Q-Scan infra-red beam counters, which fulfilled the low-cost end of the market. Since then, Axiomatic have completely redesigned the units to provide better reporting, better integration, and easier manufacture with more modern components, and have recently launched the new Twincomm V2.

Meanwhile, the company continued to manufacture a CNC control system, and in 2000 started to develop a sophisticated controller for stepper motors. Pacer also brought out machines requiring servo drives, so Axiomatic upgraded its very successful XMC-E software to work with servo controllers from North East Electronics Ltd. Pacer Systems Ltd was bought out by AXYZ Automation Ltd in 2006 who had a CNC controller of their own. The decision was made to stop controller production, and to integrate the software with the AXYZ controller, which is still in progress.

The motion control market was badly hit by the recession, and Axiomatic would have struggled to survive but for the people-counting side of the business. People-counting has continued to grow, and forms the main portion of the company's business, although it continues to supply new controllers (until existing stocks are exhausted) to ex-Pacer customers who are still running machines on the old controller.

Looking to the future, Axiomatic will continue the two strands of the business, supplying software to AXYZ Automation Ltd to use with their controllers and machines, and supplying a people-counting system with sophisticated web-based reporting software.