Traditionally, a complex manufacturing machine has one large, powerful controller that governs sequencing, motion and I/O. Multiple drives and motors are connected to the controller via a motion network. The controller itself can be linked to a human-machine interface, a PC, or both. It might also be connected to a manufacturing execution system or an enterprise resource planning system.

This approach is not the easiest system to optimize, but it does have its advantages, particularly if the application requires synchronized motion between multiple axes. Such applications include six-axis robots, injection molding machines, milling machines and water-jet cutting machines.