Control device and control method for industrial machines with controlled motion drives

A method for operating an electronic control device (2, 2′) for industrial machines (3) having controlled motion drives (13) for machine components, wherein a human-machine interface (6) with at least one control element (16) for manual influencing or specification of adjustment movements of at least one of the machine components is provided, wherein

• at least one control element (16) is implemented as a rotary control element (17) with a continuously rotatable actuating element (18), wherein
• the rotary control element (17) is in functional interaction with at least one momentary switch element (19), wherein
• the rotary control element (17) and the momentary switch element (19) are connected to an electronic analysis and control device (20), which is equipped at least for provision of a first and a second interaction mode (M1, M2), wherein
• the first interaction mode (M1) is provided for specification of a rate of travel desired by an operator and of a desired direction of travel of a machine component to be driven, in which first interaction mode (M1) the momentary switch element (19) is to be actuated or to be activated, and at the same time or in addition the actuating element (18) of the rotary control element (17) is to be moved in the relevant direction of rotation by an angle of rotation corresponding to the desired rate of travel, wherein the rate of travel is defined by the size of the angle of rotation and the direction of travel of a machine component to be driven is defined by the direction of rotation, and wherein
• in the second interaction mode (M2), a rotary actuation of the actuating element (18) of the rotary control element (17) without a simultaneous actuation of the momentary switch element (19) is provided, wherein, instead of a specification of a rate of motion, a position change of a machine component to be driven takes place that is proportional to the size of the rotary actuation, in particular as a function of the continuously traveled angle of rotation of the actuating element (18), wherein
• the actuating element (18) is in mechanical interaction with a rotational resistance generating means (21) that is variable under control, and wherein
• the rotational resistance generating means (21) is driven by the analysis and control device (20) in such a manner that, when an initial position (22) or a last rest position of the actuating element (18) is reached as a result of a reverse rotation of the actuating element (18) by an operator, a rotatability of the actuating element (18) beyond this initial position (22) or last rest position is blocked or inhibited for a predefined period of time, or during the action of an actuating torque with respect to the actuating element (18), so that the reaching of the initial position (22) or, respectively, the last rest position of the actuating element (18) is haptically signaled to an operator.