Sliding mode speed control for multi-motors system

Continuous processes in the plastics, textile paper and other industries, require several drives working in synchronism. The aim of this paper is to control speed of the multi motors system, and to maintain a constant mechanical tension between the rollers of the system. Several controllers are considerer, including Proportional-Integral (PI) and sliding-mode control (SMC). Since the PI control method can be applied easily and is widely known, it has an important place in control applications. But this method is insensitive to parameter changes. The advantage of an SMC is its robustness and ability to handle the non-linear behaviour of the system, and is indicated in comparison with traditional proportional-integral (P1) control scheme. Theoretical analysis and simulation results are provided to evaluate the consistency and performances of this control technique (SMC).