Hi, I am Andreas, my first post here.
What about frequency converter (with internal PLC) driven servo motors and a dancer position control?
They are often used in industrial winding systems.
I have programmed some of them a few years ago.
By the way, the discrete angular steps of stepper motors are not that problem at all.
Due to the inertia of the rotor and the mass of the load, they have no effect, when the motor is controlled proper. Actuelly stepper motors are on the rise in industry applications.