With the XTS linear transport system, Beckhoff offers a proven drive solution in which magnetically driven movers move along a travel path of fully integrated motor modules. An Industrial PC with the TwinCAT automation software enables the independent control of the movers with individual motion profiles. This results in many system-related benefits: The transport system is ready for operation immediately after assembly, as power electronics and displacement measurement are included in the XTS motor modules and the movers are completely passive. Due to different geometries of the motor modules, both an open and a closed travel path can be created and the machine footprint can be reduced by individual track layouts. The XTS not only replaces conventional conveyor belts, but also enables an innovative design of the entire machine. With the flexible motion profiles, simple to highly complex processes can be realized and the entire manufacturing process can thus be optimized.Each mover can be controlled independently of other movers and with freely movability for individual product transport on the travel path. As a property of the individual mover, the dynamics can thereby change at any time on the fly according to the respective requirement. If necessary, the movers can be synchronized to external process sequences or other movers. Group formation in motion with any number of movers as well as a moving buffer store are also possible. The individual movers are mapped as “normal” servo axes with all common motion control functions such as flying saw, electronic gearing, and cam plate. Functional enhancements in TwinCAT handle typical XTS requirements, such as automatic accumulation, centrifugal force limitation, and collision and jerk avoidance. All of these and other application-specific motion functions can easily be implemented without the complexity of the motion leading to a high complexity in the engineering.The innovation potentials of XTS are by no means limited to highly complex motion sequences. In fact, the system offers finely scalable adaptation options with regard to the application requirements, e.g. in relation to the geometry, the number of movers, and the functional scope. This starts with simple applications, such as the purely linear motion of a mover and the extension by a second mover to create an XY motion. With the closing of the modular geometry consisting of motor modules and guide rails, an endless linear system with any installation position is ultimately created. The application possibilities can be further increased through the combination of several XTS systems, the use of comprehensive TwinCAT function blocks and the integration of robotics. If all this is consistently used together with Condition Monitoring and object-oriented controller programming, the result is a highly intelligent machine or production module in the spirit of Industrie 4.0.