Servo drives.

Combine with IEC 61131-3 PLC and remote I/O system for completely integrated automation.

Applied Motion Products' newly launched DIN rail mountable AK series drives, now available through McLennan, offer a choice of open-loop stepper, closed-loop stepper, or full closed-loop servo motion control in a compact feature-rich package in combination with NEMA 11 to NEMA 34 frame motors operating from 24–48 VDC power. The AK series supports EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, and Modbus communication interface options. Maximum precision and performance is assured with a battery-less 17-bit multi-turn absolute encoder that eliminates the need for homing routines and external position sensors, simplifying machine design. Launched at the same time as the AK StepSERVO series, AMP’s MCA6 PLC and MET2 I/O system combine to offer complete machine integration for applications ranging from compact bench-top equipment to larger industrial machinery.

The AK drive series operates in combination with AMP’s Q-Programming software for basic to advanced motion and machine control whilst the new Stepper Suite II software covers USB-C setup for online or offline parameter configuration with an integrated oscilloscope providing real-time monitoring, and a smart fault diagnosis feature that includes corrective actions that can minimize commissioning and downtime. Further features of the AK StepSERVO series include a secondary encoder input that can be used with a load located linear encoder to ensure maximum accuracy for gantry- and linear stage-based mechanical systems. A SIL3 certified STO (Safe Torque Off) provides machine safety compliance, and the drive includes built-in brake control functionality.

Fieldbus interface options include EtherCAT and EtherNet/IP. EtherCAT includes CoE (CAN over EtherCAT) and FoE (File over EtherCAT) with distributed clocks for ultra-precise multi-axis motion and sensor synchronisation. EtherNet/IP supports 14+ add-on instructions for application-specific control integration. Both versions include a compliment of 6-in and 3-out configurable I/O.

In addition, the two new companion platforms launched by AMP offer maximum flexibility for machine builders and automation engineers: the MCA6 Motion PLC is a compact controller that combines machine and motion control from an ARM-based processor with support for PLCopen and IEC 61131-3 programming standards with a device capacity of up to 64 EtherCAT motion axes and 128 other EtherCAT devices. The MET2 I/O system, also EtherCAT-based, is a modular distributed platform that supports up to 32 digital, analogue and temperature sensor modules. Together, these three platforms are designed to operate as an integrated stack; the MCA6 for centralised control, the MET2 for distributed I/O, and the AK Series for multi-axis motion that is capable of advanced motion and machine control including electronic cam, interpolation, synchronisation, and robotic functions - all three systems are unified through a common software environment and shared industrial networking protocol.

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Safe servo drive.

The Festo CMMT-AS-MP-S3 servo drive is a new product designed to simplify the implementation of high-level extended safety in automated machinery. Building on the trusted technology in their CMMT-AS servo drive range, the CMMT-AS-S3 addresses the needs of modern engineering by combining motion control and extended safety functionality in a single, compact unit. The new servo drive is particularly suited to demanding functional safety applications in assembly and handling technology, packaging machines, or the electronics industry.

Ben Lloyd, Product Manager for Electric Automation at Festo, explains: “The CMMT-AS-S3 delivers the power and precision Festo customers expect, but with extended and integrated safety features. We’ve packaged everything into a compact servo drive that requires no additional wiring or modules, delivering space and cost savings and reducing complexity while meeting the highest standards of functional safety.”

The CMMT-AS-S3 servo drive offers advanced safety and performance in applications ranging from 300 W to 12 kW. Enabling users to achieve up to PLe, SIL3, Category 3 & 4 safety levels, the new servo drive features Safe Torque Off (STO), Safe Brake Control (SBC), Safe Stop 1 and 2 (SS1 and SS2) and Safe Operating Stop (SOS), as well as Safe Maximum Speed (SMS), and Safely Limited Speed (SLS). The CMMT-AS-S3 can be used to achieve extended safety in linear or rotational motion applications in conjunction with all Festo mechanics.

Software engineers benefit from seamless integration with the Festo overall pneumatic and electric automation portfolio with multi-protocol support for common Ethernet-based fieldbuses, such as EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP™, PROFINET and ModbusTCP.

Standard safety parameters can be set without using software, but programming the CMMT-AS-S3 via the Festo Automation Suite (FAS) saves time and offers guidance at every stage. An intuitive graphical interface makes it simple to achieve safety setup, validation, commissioning, programming, diagnostics, and firmware updates. FAS saves commissioning time by offering realistic preset values and guided validation of safety functions. It also supports I/O and fieldbus configuration and the ability to generate validation reports.

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Synchronized communication protocols.

New communication protocols that support easier integration with third-party controllers while delivering industry-leading performance.

Kollmorgen has announced the latest update to its AKD2G servo drive. With the introduction of these new features, Kollmorgen has broadened its offerings to additionally support PROFINET IRT and Ethernet/IP with CIP Sync alongside CANopen®*, EtherCAT®*, and FSoE time-synchronized communication protocols. Each protocol is rigorously tested with a variety of motion controllers and certified by industry standards organizations.

The AKD2G servo drive update allows for synchronized motion between multiple drives using a wide variety of control architectures. Thanks to its flexibility and high performance, AKD2G is the ideal drive for use in applications that require highly precise coordination across multiple axes of motion.

The drive features industry-leading power density in a compact package and is easy to mount — with one- and two-axis variants available. Engineers can leverage single-cable Smart Feedback Device (SFD) or HIPERFACE®* DSL connections or choose from a wide range of other feedback devices.

Finally, the drive features an optional SafeMotion® Monitor (SMM) firmware with a safety level of SIL3/PLe to meet functional safety needs and enable a wider range of applications.

“The AKD2G servo drive is an ideal option for automation designers and OEMs that are actively optimizing their designs — offering increased performance, a smaller footprint, and greater design flexibility,” said James Davison, Senior VP/GM at Kollmorgen. “It’s a system designed with our customers in mind to make automation engineering easier, more efficient, and more powerful.”

The AKD2G paired with AKM2G motors is part of the 2G Motion System, a suite of motion products designed to work together for ultimate ease of setup and higher performance. Engineers also can take advantage of the drive’s compatibility with a wider range of controllers and feedback devices — or with other motors, as needed.

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Stepper and servo drive are one!

Machine builders no longer need to choose between a stepper or servo drive.

Festo's new extra low voltage servo drive is capable of open or closed loop positioning, which effectively bridges the gap between stepper and servo drives. This means the user can tailor the CMMT-ST to suit the needs of the application and reap the benefits of both control formats.

Electric Drives Product Marketing Manager, Josh Roberts says: “The high dynamics and controllability of servo control loops can be useful in many applications, but there can be other times where the pulse, lock and stay characteristics of a stepper are the better choice. Our new CMMT-ST offers an opportunity for automation machine builders to access the best of both worlds and comes with free software for ease of programming.”

The CMMT-ST drops below the power class (300 W nominal) of the Festo CMMT-AS standard range of servo drives but shares the same control integration and function blocks, which means significant cost reductions can be achieved by combining the two types of drives within one system.

Termed ‘extra-low’ voltage because they work at 24 or 48VDC, this new generation of controllers has a raft of new features that sets them apart from previous Festo devices and from the competition. For example, the CMMT-ST has a micro-controller which is three times more powerful than previous models. This creates performance user advantages such as multi-protocol fieldbus compatibility, field weakening, energy management, auto-tuning and U/f open loop control. It also features an integrated webserver, which is an advanced feature for a low-cost device. This enables the easy transfer of data to and from the servo drive for fast, simple set-up, diagnostics and file transfers.

Within the CMMT-ST servo drive is the capability to communicate instantly to more than 75% of major fieldbus systems (including PROFINET, EtherCAT, EtherNet IP and Modbus), either through simple DIP switch settings, software set-up or auto-recognition. This means no changes to electrical designs, cabinet layout or wiring when swapping between control architectures, which is a time-consuming and expensive exercise for special purpose machine builders adapting to end-user specifications. It also means less stocked or service parts and less parts for installers and service technicians to become familiar with.

Field weakening sounds counter intuitive for a user benefit; however, it enables the connected motors to achieve higher maximum speeds or torques. For example, at low torques the maximum speed increases from 1,600 to 2,300 rpm - an increase of 44%. Therefore, there is the opportunity to select a smaller, lower cost motor to perform the same task.

Mechanically the CMMT-ST very efficiently packages advanced electronics within a robust enclosure with good EMC protection. An earthing fin shields the encoder feedback cabling, protecting the drive within ‘noisy’ environments on industrial machinery. Connectivity for braking resistors enables efficient energy management, soaking up the energy spikes and increasing the drive’s peak performance characteristics. A further energy saving option is to use the DC link sharing energy peaks between different drives within a system. For a compact drive which is only 144mm high, 88mm deep and 27mm wide it can manage an impressive nominal current of 8A and up to 20A peak for limited durations (3 sec. max.) for maximum acceleration or de-acceleration peaks within a positioning cycle.

Josh Roberts concludes: “With a list price of under £500 and free of charge programming software, the CMMT-ST offers big savings for machine builders and users; particularly in applications where the drives are currently over-specified to combat the compatibility and control issues usually associated with mixing drives within a single control system. The CMMT family of pure servo drives (AS) and open/closed loop extra-low servo drives (ST) is an ideal combination that overcomes these challenges.”

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Servo drive series expanded.

Option of achieving more power and control in a compact, high-amperage servo drive that offers expanded integration possibilities to support complex motion capabilities in a simpler machine.

The new AKD2G 24A drive has been unveiled by Kollmorgen. Designed for applications in precision multi-axis servo systems, the new single-cable optimized drive builds upon the strengths of the AKD2G portfolio including upgraded safety features, SD card backup and a graphical display with higher amperage to support more applications with higher power requirements such as conveyors and vertical lifting applications.

“The AKD2G 24A delivers higher amperage for more applications,” said James Davison, Senior VP/GM at Kollmorgen. “This high level of flexibility and performance potential means customers aren’t forced to mix and match drives. Simply put, the expanded AKD2G servo drive family now gives customers more power and control with less complexity.”

Compared to other drives in its class, the AKD2G 24A servo drive provides 3x the continuous current rating during peak operation for up to 5 seconds — ideal for intermittent-use, high-power servo motors. In these peak-dependent applications, customers can potentially downsize their servo drive to this new 24A offering. Kollmorgen’s Motioneering sizing & selection tool provides guidance through the process.

The new AKD2G 24A servo drive provides configurable options including safety level, I/O, feedback and fieldbus. It supports a secondary brake through a standard X4 connector and allows for faster Smart Feedback Adapter (SFA) wiring with a standard X5 connector.

For high-performance applications — such as satellite ground stations, robotics, packaging, labeling and more — customers can rely on Kollmorgen’s unsurpassed support to optimize drive/motor synchronization, setup and performance. Worldwide product and service availability ensure long-term productivity and success.

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@AboutKollmorgen @mepaxIntPR #PAuto

Boosting servo drive adoption.

Delta has launched the new compact and high-efficiency servo system ASDA-B3 Series, which offers a user-friendly operation environment with precise motion control functions, a newly- added safe torque off (STO) function, high responsiveness up to 3.1kHz and high positioning precision with over 16.7 million pulses per revolution to optimize production efficiency and output value in a wide range of applications, such as machine tools, electronics, semiconductors, industrial robots, printing, packaging, textiles, warehousing, and medical.

Concurrently they have also launched the new generation motor of ECM-B3 Series, offering improved power density, stability, and stiffness while reducing 40% space requirements. Nevertheless, torque has increased 350% and the maximum speed is now 6000 rpm. With the new ASDASoft GUI, the time of commissioning and troubleshooting is shorter.

“Customers across a broad range of manufacturing and industrial automation applications are going to be really excited about our new generation of servo drives,” said Davide Bagnacani, product manager, Industrial Automation Business Group at Delta Electronics EMEA region. “The ASDA-B3 Series is a big step up in performance and we think this will make it attractive for applications, such as machine tools, electronics, semiconductors, industrial robots, printing, packaging, textiles, and warehousing. Moreover, applications that might not have used a servo drive before will see a noticeable increase in throughput. This drive is going to make the decision to use a servo motor much easier.”

Among the many performance highlights of the new 230VAC ECM-B3 motor from Delta is an auto tuning feature that ensures optimized operation without the need for manual adjustments.

Responsiveness has been bumped up to 3.1 kHz from the 1 kHz of the preceding model. Delta has programmed new motor control algorithms and increased the computing power of the drive to achieve this superior result.

A 40% reduction in settling time also contributes to improved production line productivity. Load tolerances have increased, allowing for better control resolution and system stability as well as higher response bandwidth for the same load conditions.

Further contributing to efficiency are the low cogging torque, increased speed, and lower acceleration and deceleration times. As with the previous line of Delta servo drives, customers can choose from motors with varying inertia ranges to achieve the most efficient inertia ratio.

The new drive enables a number of motion functions, for instance in PR mode. Operators can use up to 99 PR paths for flexible motion command planning. The Capture feature makes it possible to capture coordinates instantly from a single set of digital inputs.

Safety features include built-in STO with no additional module required (B3A family), reaching a safety integrity level of 2 (SIL-2) and performance level D (PL-D). The ASDA-B3 Series can also operate using several different control modes from traditional pulse train and analog input to the more current fieldbus systems including CANopen and EtherCAT. These different control modes were achieved with three different hardware designs to ensure good segmentation and achieve cost efficiency for the respective application. The EtherCAT command frequency has been raised to 125 µs / 8kHz for greater accuracy.

Positioning is now several orders of magnitude more precise thanks to the 24-bit encoder, which results in 16,777,216 pulses per turn and 46,603 pulses for a single degree. This absolute encoder also retains the motor’s position when the power is off.

The new configuration application ASDA-Soft employs wizards to guide users through a fast and easy setup procedure. Onboard diagnostics features and usability have been improved with a new and intuitive layout.

The new servo drives of ASDA-B3 Series are compatible with the existing motors of ASDA-A2 Series and ASDA-A3 Series. Configurations are available with IP20 connectors and IP65 connectors are in planning.

@mepaxIntPR #deltaww #PAuto #EMEA

Component flexibility for mechanical engineering.

Baumüller certifies converters for PROFINET IRT and clears the way for greater productivity, better system availability and maximum flexibility.

Communication is everything. This is the case whether in the sphere of human relations or in the interaction of individual components in production systems. With the open Ethernet standard PROFINET, Baumüller is building on a flexible, secure and continuous communication topology. This year Baumüller certified its b maXX 5000 servo drives under the most current standard for PROFINET IRT.

PROFINET the open Industrial Ethernet Standard enables flexible design capabilities in connectivity and machine topology. Applications that require fast communication via Ethernet and industrial IT functions especially benefit from maximum precision and reliability with the fieldbus.

The IRT (Isochronous Real-Time) protocol in drive technology allows clock-synchronous data exchange with cycle times under 1 ms for high-precision motion control in drive technology.

Along with the real time-capable EtherCAT fieldbus, Baumüller offers different bus systems for the servo system b maXX 5500 such as CANopen, VARAN, Modbus TCP, PROFINET IRT, EtherNET / IP or Powerlink. This makes Baumüller drive technology particularly flexible and enables combination with system components from different manufacturers.

The b maXX 5000 family from Baumüller includes both stackable devices and powerful mono units. The compact feed, feedback and axis units can be quickly and easily combined using an integrated drive-connect system and are available in air, water and oil cooling methods. With optional safety packs, all devices in this series can be easily adapted to meet your individual safety needs.

@be_in_motion @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #Drives

Servo Drives with Developer Kit.

A new developer kit from Festo enables system designers and machine builders to familiarise themselves with the functions and application possibilities of the company’s CMMT servo drives.

The Festo CMMT developer kit allows users to explore the ease of installation, powerful networking capabilities and simple commissioning software available to help them specify and become familiar with the configuration of the best servo drive for their application.

Festo’s CMMT range of servo drives includes the high power CMMT-AS and the miniature CMMT-ST, which needs less than half the installation space. The developer kit provides users with a risk-free application development tool that enables them to try out CMMT servo drive capabilities and evaluate the connectivity available through Festo’s Automation Suite at their own pace. It also enables easy replication across the range functionally at a very low initial outlay.

The developer-kit contains:

• The CMMT-ST extra low voltage servo drive controller
• An EMMS-ST-42 servo motor
• Encoder cable (1.5 m)
• Motor cable (1.5 m)

The CMMT-ST servo drive controller makes connectivity simple. Users choose between EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Modbus protocols to integrate the CMMT servo drive seamlessly into the system environment of their chosen PLC. Necessary plug-ins and function blocks are provided – at no additional cost – for integration into host systems such as Festo, Siemens, Beckhoff, Rockwell and Omron environments.

Users of the developer kit can utilise Festo’s free “Positioning Drives” software to quickly size and select the correct components. They can then use the Automation Suite software for quick and easy commissioning of the drive system in just five steps. The positioning drives project can be imported into the Automation Suite, making the commissioning process even easier. E-Plan schematics and macros are also provided in the package, enabling developers to see how easy it is to speed up technical documentation using these tools.

For those who require support, Festo is offering a series of ‘how to’ videos available on the YouTube channel "Festo Service". These video tutorials show how to configure and commission the servo components and can be viewed on a smartphone or tablet, enabling the correct sequence to be followed at any time to suit the user, day or night. One-to-one online commissioning support is also available through the Application Support engineering team on your first system.

#Pauto @festo_global @Publitek

Compact servo drive.

Festo has expanded its range of servo drives with the introduction of the CMMT-ST. Complementing the existing CMMT-AS, this new servo drive is equally reliable but much more compact and economical. These characteristics make it ideal for point-to-point and interpolating motion in demanding applications in assembly and handling technology, packaging machines or in the electronics industry.

The CMMT-ST enables challenging dynamic motions for small servo motors and all stepper motors with a continuous power requirement of up to 300 W. It has a power capacity of 2.5 kW, so requires less cooling than its big brother and needs just half the installation space.

It is particularly suitable for various Ethernet-based bus systems and can be seamlessly integrated into the controller environments of different manufacturers. The CMMT-ST is based on the same platform as the CMMT-AS and works best in combination with the EMMS-ST stepper motor from Festo.

Commissioning the CMMT-ST takes just a few minutes with the Festo Automation Suite. Although the CMMT-ST offers a more compact, cheaper option than the CMMT-AS, the connection and communication concept, functional modules and standard safety features remain unchanged. The consistent control concept means that users can combine the CMMT-AS and CMMT-ST as a servo drive for both large and small axes.

The free Festo Automation Suite is the main software of the constantly expanding Festo Automation Platform, which is entering the automation market with numerous new products and solutions from the mechanical system to the cloud. It combines the parameterisation, programming and maintenance of electric components from Festo in one program. It also enables the entire drive package, from the mechanical system to the controller, to be commissioned in just a few intuitive steps.

The CMMT-ST servo drive is an important part of the Festo philosophy of seamless connectivity: the ability to connect a workpiece completely through to the cloud, from its mechanical connections and electrical interfaces to commissioning and controller programming. Festo simplifies the work of machine builders and automation engineers with simple connectivity spanning mechanical, electrical, hardware and software interfaces.

#PAuto  @FestoAG @Publitek

Greater productivity through permanent lubrication of the internal toothing.

High efficiency, better process performance and low heat development. These are just a few of the advantages of a servo pump. 

The Baumüller servo pump solution has been in use for years in a number of applications such as presses and injection molding machines. By now, their use has become part of the standard equipment of machine manufacturers, partly due to rising energy costs. End customers are increasingly taking the total operating costs into account and are finding that the purchase price for a servo pump very often pays for itself within a year due to the significant reduction in energy consumption.

Baumüller has worked continuously, together with its customers, on enhancement and has now brought its latest servo pump version onto the market.

In the latest enhancement, the hydraulic pump is attached directly to the engine with a gear tooth system. This dispenses with the coupling and pump support as is the case with classic servo pump versions, which has the advantage of a shorter installation length and therefore a smaller machine installation area. Furthermore, direct attachment eliminates the need for mechanical parts. In this way, the machine manufacturer benefits from lower storage costs.

Another advantage lies in the intelligent use of hydraulic oil. The latest version, for example, features new connections for both the motor and the constant pump so that the leakage flow of the pump can be used for the permanent lubrication of the gear tooth system. This eliminates the need for grease lubrication of the internal toothing, which is required every 3,000 operating hours on average. The machine can operate without interruption. Baumüller is the sole supplier of this solution, which also results in significantly reduced service costs for machine manufacturers and machine operators.

The structural change also offers a further customer benefit. Since the holes for the connections are on both sides, the motor can be installed horizontally or vertically, depending on the application. This means that the motor position can be freely selected and adapted to the respective machine design.

The new features are available for Baumüller's DSD2 three-phase current synchronous motor series in sizes 71 and 100 and are very well suited for plastic and die casting machines. Size 132 will be available shortly.

In addition, the customer can also use the existing bores in the motor for his own sensors. For example, pressure sensors for monitoring the oil lubrication of the internal toothing can be easily attached. The installation of leakage sensors for early indication of possible leaks is also straightforward, enabling predictive maintenance. The measured values and data recorded by the sensors minimize uncontrolled breakdown times and the machine can proactively undergo service at a pre-defined point in time.

The servo pump of drive specialist Baumüller combines the advantages of hydraulic power transmission with the benefits of electric servo drive technology. The control of the drive and the low energy consumption of the components, especially in the partial load range, results in a highly energy-efficient and yet economical solution that machine builders and users in the plastics and die casting industries can implement in their machines as a decisive competitive advantage.

The drive package consists of a constant pump, a DSx servo motor, a b maXX 5000 converter and the servo pump software module integrated in the converter. The comprehensive range of dynamic motors and converters in different cooling versions from Baumüller offers the right drive solution for an optimal and energy-efficient process design according to the respective load profile of the application. Thanks to the integrated software module of the servo pump, Baumüller's solution can be used independently of the respective manufacturer’s machine control system.

#PAuto @be_in_motion 

Servo controllers - new options.

Baumüller has further improved its servo controller b maXX 3300. Now the controller for small drives is also available with a single-phase option. One advantage is the lower wiring expense, resulting in time and cost savings for the machine manufacturers.

The b maXX 3300 can now also be equipped with an external brake resistance. If the application requires very short brake times or if frequent, fast braking and dynamic changes of direction are needed, the internal brake resistance may not be sufficient. Now the necessary dynamics can be achieved by simply installing an external brake resistance.

The servo controller b maXX 3300 is a compact device for a low power range with gradations from 0.8 to 5 kW. The devices also excel with an up to fourfold overload factor. For highly precise positioning, high dynamics and speeds, the b maXX 3300 is exactly the right product. In combination with the highly dynamic Baumüller servo motors in the DSD series, this results in an increase in the number of cycles and thereby the productivity of machines and systems.

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Decentralized servo technology without language barriers.

Since the issue of communication automatically arises with selection of the relevant automation, Kollmorgan has now made it easier to connect the relevant control system to the decentralized servo technology in the form of the decentralized AKD-N series using a multi-language interface.

Kollmorgan  develops a multi-language interface for Profinet, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT & Co. Although machinery and plant engineering certainly has international characteristics, there are still some continental- specific features that need to be accounted for with technical equipment. These include in particular the selection of control systems, as well as the language spoken in the bus. The prevalence of Rockwell with Ethernet/IP in America and of Siemens with Profinet in Europe is a good example of this. These regional practices mean that manufacturers supplying both regions need to equip their machinery with the relevant control systems as required.

Author: Hack Alexander, Kollmorgan

Benefits of Modularization
Space savings, increased energy efficiency and lower installation and assembly costs are just three of the benefits of using decentralized servo technology in mechanical engineering. First of all, the positioning of the control engineering in the immediate vicinity of the actual drive task creates space in the control cabinet. These can be smaller as a result, allowing them to be integrated more easily and in a more compact manner in machine racks. Aside from a more efficient operating surface, the AKD-N devices also provide greater freedom to development departments for constructing new machines with less spatial restrictions through their robust design and IP 65 degree of protection.

Another effect of moving the servo drive technology to the machine: the thermal losses are no longer concentrated at one spot in the control cabinet, which in turn saves money by eliminating air conditioning and thereby reducing operating costs over the long term. As a result of derating, Kollmorgan has made a conscious decision to develop the AKD-N decentralized servo controllers as an offset solution. This way the devices provide full power. With the hybrid “piggyback” solution the thermal discharge from the motors can result in more than 30 percent power loss. The “next door” approach also creates more freedom in selecting a motor compared with having everything in the center.

Motors Selection: Maximum Freedom
Standardized synchronous motors, customer-specific special motors, hygienic premium steel motors in protection class IP69K, linear and rotating direct drives and asynchronous machines: decentralized AKD servo controllers can cope with whichever motor you are controlling! This makes it so easy in practice to use the best system for the relevant drive task, without having to get bogged down in the multiple versions available. Since the decentralized controllers also use the same functional AKD platform, mixed forms of centralized and decentralized controllers can also be easily implemented within the same application. All in all, Kollmorgan supports designs for perfect-fitting solutions with a high degree of standardization, which ultimately reduces storage, documentation and purchasing costs.

The features of the decentralized servo technology outlined briefly can be used independently of the higher-level control system thanks to further developments in communication. Profinet, Ethercat, Ethernet/IP: machine and plant manufacturers no longer need to worry about the language of their control system thanks to the multi-language interface. As communication in their AKD-N system is ultimately now just a question of the software settings, the actuators can be adapted “at the touch of a button” if the PLC changes based on market differences. This way manufacturers have the benefit of being able to design their machines free from country-specific features or their customers’ special plant regulations. It is also much easier to modularize the whole ensemble – an aspect for which decentralized servo technology, in particular, is able to demonstrate its full performance capacity.

Parameterize using a few movements
For Silvester Tribus, CEO of TBM Automation AG (CH), this independence forms the basis for integrating machines into an existing plant network more easily and quickly. “We deal with very special requirements and needs related to functions or data logging on a daily basis. If we are open in terms of the protocols, we are able to meet these requests with every control system.”

What is specified and in what format differs greatly in the experience of the Swiss CEO. “Some customers specify the control system, some the entire technology, and for others it doesn’t matter. They want their machine fitted out in such a way that they achieve the required performance and quality – the exact way that this is done is left to us.” In terms of communication the full-service partner for industrial automation from Widnau, south of Lake Constance, always states that machinery and plant engineering is in great shape when programming a control system, but regarding the field bus the matter “is becoming more difficult”. As a result Kollmorgan has written the finished software modules for the multi-language interface and collated these in a library that reproduces at least 80 percent of the basic functions. “The remainder can be adjusted in just a few parameterization steps”, says Tribus.

The multi-language interface is integrated into the enclosure for the central AKD-C supply unit. The decentralized servo controllers are connected to the control cabinet unit with just one cable – arranged in a line rather than in awkward star wiring. The AKD-C feed-in module can be used to connect up to 16 decentralized AKD-N servo axes via the grid-bound DC supply. The system cables are just 11 millimeters thick and therefore require less space. The eight-pin structure on the inside draws the DC supply of the decentralized AKD-N drives, provides the 24V supply, the bus communication, transmits signals and brake management.

The Bottom Line
With the new multi-functional communication interface which is unique in the drive technology market, KOLLMORGEN provides an option for switching between control systems with just one “click” with decentralized drive architectures. This makes it possible to design machines free from restrictions on the PLC side. The multi-language communication module supports the entire ensemble with local logic for extremely rapid reactions at the servo axis in micro seconds. The new communication module thereby opens up closed systems, enabling completely new and open designs.

@AboutKollmorgen #PAuto

Find "Ye olde controle valve!"

Moog Inc has launched a contest today to find the oldest operating Moog servo valve.  The company will also be sponsoring monthly drawings to give people with newer valves a chance to participate. This contest is part of a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Moog’s operations in Europe.

“Moog’s servo valves have a legendary reputation for reliability, and it’s not uncommon to find our valves in service for 25 years or more in tough environments like steel production, gas turbines and industrial machinery,” said Gary Parks, Group Vice President and General Manager – Industrial Services at Moog Inc.

In 1951 William C. Moog, Jr., developed the first commercially viable servo valve. Servo valves transform a digital or analog signal into a hydraulic output such as flow or pressure.

“We’re celebrating our reliability and anniversaries in Europe, while having fun by challenging people to find the oldest operational Moog servo valve,” Gary Parks.

The contest is simple and open to anyone who can find a Moog servo valve in operation on a machine. Here’s how it works:

Using a smartphone, take a photo of the valve including the serial number on the nameplate. Moog will use this information to check the date of the valve.

Upload the photo and complete this short form.

The grand prize is an Amazon Voucher for US$500; Moog will award additional Amazon vouchers for the second prize and third prize. Even if a contestant’s valve is not the oldest operational valve or if they have multiple valves, participants can still qualify to win five US$50 Amazon Vouchers that Moog will draw each month.

Customisable drives for precision applications.

SolutionKit® is a range of servo actuators, from Harmonic Drive, designed to be completely customisable for high precision applications. The new range offers all of the benefits of an off-the-shelf actuation system, without the typical product development drawbacks. SolutionKit® caters for the needs of users in specialist applications including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, food processing etc.

Product development costs continue to grow as the demand for more specialised equipment rises in extreme and niche applications where production batch sizes are shrinking. Standard, off-the-shelf products have traditionally served to bring down costs in the high volume sectors but, until now, this has been out of the reach for niche applications where usage characteristics can vary considerably.

The high salinity of marine and offshore applications can cause corrosion on metallic surfaces as well as water ingress, which can lead to drive failure from prolonged submersion. Designed to overcome these and other problems, SolutionKit® allows users to specify custom gears, motors, encoder feedback systems, output bearings, sensors, windings, protective coatings and ingress protection ratings up to IP68.

"Traditionally, every time a product is redeveloped or redesigned to customise it for a given application it needs to undergo revalidation and retesting to ensure it is safe and fit for purpose," explained Graham Mackrell, managing director of Harmonic Drive. This means original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can incur higher costs. It is for this reason we have made SolutionKit®; a completely modular system that uses preapproved components, which have already been tested.

"For example, mains power varies from 240V in public low voltage networks, 300-560V in high voltage industrial networks and 12V, 24V and 48V in vehicle batteries. To provide the required motor torque constant in these varying applications, we need to customise the windings specification to suit.

"In this scenario we used SolutionKit® to take our standard AlopexDrive® and customise it for military vehicle use in harsh desert environments. Here, protective coatings, ingress protection and vibration resistance, as well as a hollow shaft to allow services to pass through, are vital to the sustainable operation of the entire system."

• In addition to its modular customisability, SolutionKit® offers compatibility with nearly all proprietary encoder technologies being used by customers already. Technologies such as Sick's HIPERFACE, Siemen's DRIVE-CLiQ and Heidenhain's EnDat can all be specified with SolutionKit®.

Smallest servo drive makes tweet on market!

Gold Twitter Nano Drive Delivers Ultra High Power – 4000 W in Any Industrial Environment

Elmo Motion Control has announced a major record-setting advance with the release of its flagship Gold Twitter product, the smallest, high-power servo drive available on the market today.

At just 18 grams (less than 1 ounce) in weight, and less than 13 cm3, the Gold Twitter delivers up to 4000 W of qualitative power, ultra high current such as 50 A / 100 V with the most advanced servo capabilities and support for EtherCAT and CANopen field-bus communication standards for deployment in a variety of application configurations, compliant with international safety, EMC standards and STO certification.

»At a record-setting power density while delivering ultra high power of 4000 W, we improved the efficiency by 200%, reduced the volume by 75% and increased the power density by more than 400%.

The GOLD Twitter is an excellent solution for applications that require very high servo performance but are very limited with space. In addition, the GOLD Twitter is rugged to meet the growing needs to mount the drives »on the motor», »next to the motor», or »on the moving mechanical load», thus ensuring the high servo performance and saving huge costs in hardware and cabling.

We´re not aware of anything in the industry that approaches this power and size density,» Haim Monhait, Elmo CEO concluded.

The Gold Twitter runs optimally on any servo motor and operates in current, velocity, and advanced position modes.

The Gold Twitter supports "any feedback" sensor in single, dual and gantry loop configurations.

Based on the premise that "the best way to dissipate heat is not to generate it in the first place," the Gold Twitter incorporates Elmo´s proprietary FASST (Fast and Soft Switching Technology) resulting in >99% efficiency with negligible EMI.

Easily set up and tuned using the Windows® based Elmo Application Studio II (EASII) software,
Gold Twitter servo drive can operate as a single-axis control solution or as part of a multi-axis control system in a distributed configuration real-time network. Among its expanded features, the Gold Twitter incorporates a powerful internal breaking shunt resistor and multi extended I/O interface.

Embedded servo drive boosts speed of smart friction feeders for packaging lines!

An embedded servo drive from Metronix is providing an economic upgrade path for Pfankuch Machinery - one of the world's leading manufacturers of friction feeder systems for inserting leaflets and products into sales packaging. Metronix's smart drive has allowed Pfankuch to increase the speed of its latest friction feeder - the SmartFeeder - by 50% while also doubling the positioning accuracy. This offers a massive gain in productivity for the many users of this type of packaging equipment in markets including pharmaceutical, food and beverage processing, along with extended application versatility.

Pfankuch upgraded the control hardware as part of an exercise to improve the performance of one of its most popular friction feeders in the mid-range sector of this packaging equipment market. The upgrade project targeted the motion control element of the packaging machine, as the basic mechanical structure of the SmartFeeder friction feeder is extremely well proven and reliable.
Pic right Metronix's smart embedded drive mounted inside Pfankuch's advanced new friction feeder

Before the upgrade, the general-purpose friction feeder offered an insertion capability that performs real-time registration and inserts items up to a maximum speed of approximately 100 items/minute, to a position accuracy of nearly 2 mm. The motion control hardware used to achieve this was a brushed DC motor, and a relatively simple drive that was designed and manufactured in-house at Pfankuch.

Pfankuch wanted to improve speed and precision as much as possible, while also changing the motor type to a brushless AC servo - to eliminate maintenance and help speed acceleration times. Crucially, the electronics upgrade had to be achieved without increasing manufacturing costs by more than a small margin, in order to keep the machine price-competitive in its market segment.

The key factor in the upgrade was finding a suitable servo drive. Most servo drives tend to be offered as complete packaged products, and these are far too expensive. However, when the packaging OEM approached Metronix about a drive from its smart DIS-2 range for decentralised applications - which offered an ideal control platform for the single axis in this feeder - Metronix was more than willing to adapt the drive for embedded use to reduce costs and simplify integration. This made the upgrade project feasible. Moreover, Metronix was also willing to provide engineering support to help Pfankuch to implement the changes to the motion control subsystem.

The optimisation exercise involved stripping out all non-essential components from the DIS-2 drive. This included eliminating the casing and expensive system-level connectors. Metronix then added application-specific connection and mounting, and made some modifications to the drive's firmware to optimise performance. Metronix's resulting brushless AC servo drive solution increases Pfankuch's friction feeder insertion speed from 100 to 150 items/minute, while simultaneously doubling positioning resolution to 1 mm. The embedded drive also provides Pfankuch with a modern network expansion interface to provide a platform for future enhancements of the feeder - a CANopen port. The packaging machinery OEM also has the option of adding daughter boards later, which could provide additional fieldbus interface options such as EtherCAT or Profibus.

One of the key ways in which the Metronix drive improves the speed of friction-fed insertion cycle is through local control intelligence embedded in the DIS-2 drive, which both performs the control calculations more rapidly, and employs a more sophisticated positioning algorithm that adjusts drive speed much more often to enhance registration resolution.

Joerg Lastig of Pfankuch comments: "Developing our own state-of-the-art drive was viewed as a complex and costly project for own engineering team, so the major barrier for us was finding a commercial drives specialist that was willing to partner with us and adapt its product for our SmartFeeder machine. Metronix is one of a very small number of suppliers that was willing to help, and provided in-depth engineering support that has helped us to bring the upgraded machine to market on time and budget - which we are confident will set a new price/performance benchmark in its market segment."

"We managed to strip around 20% of the hardware cost from the DIS-2 module to make the drive viable for this embedded application," adds Metronix's Frank Essmann. "The project is a great example of what customised drives can do for OEMs - which in this case we believe increases performance by such a large margin that it will help this packaging machine supplier to increase its market share."

The feeding speed and precision positioning performance of Pfankuch's new SmartFeeder system has now been improved by such a large margin that it even competes with high-speed feeder systems in applications that do not require multi-axis control. This higher performance product category typically includes a powerful dedicated motion controller or PLC and tends to cost at least twice as much as standalone friction feeders. In addition to improving performance, Pfankuch has also made a number of improvements to the feeder to simplify operation and use; one of the most important is a very easy means of changing the friction belt to suit different insertion applications.
At the same time, the new embedded drive minimises the hardware costs of the upgrade for Pfankuch, because Metronix adapted it for the application, providing a stripped-down product suitable for OEM integration that eliminates numerous expensive components.

Innovative new technology for improved safety, productivity and energy efficiency

With the introduction of the new MELSERVO MR-J4 series - and corresponding positioning modules, motion modules and high-end motion control systems - Mitsubishi Electric is now offering a servo amplifier which will enable machine manufacturers and end customers to improve both safety within the production process and productivity, while guaranteeing ease of operation and commissioning at the same time. The MR-J4, successor to the tried and tested MELSERVO J3 series amplifiers, scores highly in all categories by ensuring better performance and providing expanded functionality. Their target market for these units includes manufacturers of packing machines, indexing tables and handling systems.

MELSERVO MR-J4 product range with

rotating, linear and direct-drive motors.

Mitsubishi Electric has integrated a wide range of new user-friendly functions in its new series of amplifiers in order to minimise the time-consuming and complex operations involved in harmonising mechanical and electronic systems. The system makes adjustments itself quickly and easily by means of “online auto tuning” and automatic “vibration filters”. The customer can utilise these functions during start-up and during ongoing operation, enabling commissioning and parameterisation times to be reduced.

The amplifiers also have a “life diagnosis function” that monitors the actual condition of the components installed, such as capacitors and relays, throughout the life of the product. It also notifies the user and operator regarding any degradation in their operation, making both downtime and machine outage time a thing of the past.

The designers have also looked in to the future as far as safety and safety related functions are concerned. They have come up with a modular architecture which provides a redundant two-channel STO input (Safe Torque Off) as a standard on all MR-J4 amplifiers. This can be augmented by an additional option module to provide SS1 (Safe Stop) input in line with EN61800-5-2. The system configuration then also supports SIL2 (EN62061) and PLd (EN13849-1). For more advanced systems, and the highest levels of safety such as support for SS2, SOS, SLS, SBC and SSM, this can be achieved when Mitsubishi's MR-J4-B amplifiers and motion controllers are used in combination. This flexibility means that users can reduce costs by being able to "tune" their system configuration to meet only the needed safety requirements for the target application.

Another plus in terms of functionality and flexibility compared with its predecessor is the fact that a wide range of motors can be connected to the MELSERVO MR-J4 amplifier. Both rotating and linear or even direct-drive motors can be used with the servo amplifier, thus optimising the stocking processes for users.

The amplifiers are fitted with 22-bit absolute encoders as standard, providing a resolution which corresponds to more than 4 million pulses per revolution. The result: excellent rotational accuracy and optimum positioning accuracy.

Besides the MR-J4-A (analogue/digital/pulse train) and MR-J3-B (SSCNET III/H motion network), the MELSERVO J4 series from Mitsubishi Electric also includes two additional versions for two- and three-axis operation which are being offered for the first time. The two- and three-axis amplifiers (MR-J4W2B and MR-J4W3B) are correspondingly more compact and efficient than three individual amplifiers, not only saving the machine manufacturer money in terms of energy costs and reducing CO2 emissions but also saving on the space required in the switching cabinet.

Motors from the HG-KR/MR series are available for the lower output range from 50 to 750 watts. The maximum torque ranges from 0.48 to 7.2 Nm, with a maximum speed of 6000 rpm. The HG-SR series covers the medium output range from 0.5 to 7 kilowatts with a maximum torque of 100 Nm. All the motors have IP65 or IP67 protection (dust- and water-proof), making them suitable for use in the harshest industrial environments.
At the initial product launch, the 200-Volt version of the MELSERVO MR-J4 was first made available with servo motors ranging from 100 W to 7 kW. The 400-Volt versions from the MR-J4 series with servo motors up to a maximum of 110 kW has since been launched.

Custom servo drive business extended

Metronix, has expanded the customisation capability it offers, and launched a new fast-track service.

Metronix is one of the largest designers and manufacturers of custom servo drives. Around 35,000 servo drives a year - over half of Metronix's annual output - are sold under other companies' labels or produced for specific OEM applications. Today, the company is typically working on about 30 adaptation or customization projects at any one time.

The opportunity for custom drives continues to grow strongly, and Metronix has just expanded the size of its R&D department by a third to meet demand. The company has also streamlined the way it handles custom design or private-label branding projects, to offer what it believes is the fastest-turnaround service in the European market.

A team of just two staff are responsible for reviewing new projects with clients and initiating development and manufacturing orders. This efficient arrangement makes Metronix exceptionally agile, allowing it to react very rapidly to customer requests and to 'green-light' new projects within days if required. Using lean manufacturing, the company is able to get new projects into trial production within months of initial customer enquiries, and ramp to volume production quantities in less than a year.

Growth in demand for custom servo drives is increasing strongly. This stems from numerous factors, including the continuing growth in demand for precision servo control, demands for lower power consumption, the increasing desire to reduce physical size or for drives to fit into specific spaces, and from the sheer added value that strong brand identity delivers.

"Many industrial companies are currently realising that they can increase their market share and improve their margins with the aid of better drives and controls," says Jan Koch, CEO of Metronix. "Metronix has the resources and structure to partner with them and accelerate their time to market in such situations."

"Our new investment is targeted at satisfying the strong growth in demand for branding in our segment of the industrial automation marketplace, while also capitalizing on the core strengths of Metronix," adds Jan Koch. "These strengths are a drives business that is large enough to allow us to offer best-in-class manufacturing quality at a very competitive price point; but with a company size that is also small enough to react very quickly."

Metronix, headquartered in northern Germany, has a flexible structure, with a headquarters facility that handles core activities such as engineering and final assembly of drives and controls products, and a number of high quality subcontract partners who manufacture most of the electronic and electro-mechanical component parts and sub-assemblies.

The company's agility and responsiveness is illustrated by a recent survey of its custom product clients which showed that Metronix achieved an on-time delivery score of more than 95%, rated against the deadlines that the customers themselves had asked for - which included many urgent requests for service that fell outside of agreed normal schedules.

Most of the custom requests that Metronix deals with fall into two categories. One is full-custom design, producing application-specific drives to help OEMs optimize performance and/or reduce the bill-of-materials costs of their industrial equipment.

The second main form of request is for 'private label' products - coming from automation suppliers and motion control system builders who typically need a drive to fill a gap in their range. Often, the private label drives that Metronix supplies will also have a number of minor adaptations, such as custom firmware and connectivity, to suit the client's particular target applications and marketplaces. For many of these companies a key target is to get their application solution firmly designed in by OEM customers. By partnering with Metronix, they are able to broaden their product range quickly and competitively, to help differentiate their service from other automation competitors.

In both cases, by selling third-party drive products under their own name, clients typically increase the value of their own brand in terms of enhancing customer recognition, and extending their market reach. Metronix is a complementary partner for such companies, because as a pure drives specialist it does not compete in the higher-level motion control and systems automation engineering parts of the market.

One unusual aspect of Metronix's services in this custom engineering area is its willingness to transfer intellectual property rights to clients. Users can be assigned full rights to manufacture the drives themselves if they wish, typically after a certain initial production figure has been achieved. Metronix also has no minimum batch size for orders, it will even produce quantities of just one item if that is what's needed.

Metronix has been producing motion control technology for industrial machines and automotive applications for over 30 years. Its product range includes smart servo drives with integrated positioning capability, plus motion controllers and accessories that provide cost-effective solutions for multi-axis motion control and automation, and decentralized machine control requirements. A key feature of Metronix's motion products is their rich networking and encoder interfacing capability, which ensures that drives can be integrated easily into virtually any industrial system or machine - even if an OEM has custom PLC or control hardware. This feature is highly valued by many OEMs as it allows them to create and continue developing innovative brands of machine offering unique features. Metronix complements this capability with what is probably the most sophisticated and capable custom drive engineering service on the market today. Motion control products designed by Metronix are marketed under its own brand, and in custom forms by a number of well known industrial OEMs.

• The company additionally makes geophysical instruments and customer-specific digital controls for measurement and control applications. Metronix is part of the Apex Tool Group, headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, USA. The Apex Tool Group has more than 7,600 employees in over 30 countries. 

Servo drives boost machine throughput and lower costs

Metronix has a family of intelligent servomotor drives offering machine builders a platform to boost the performance of automation while also decreasing costs. The new ARS 2000 SE drives combine advanced features including integrated functional safety, universal encoder interfacing and a peak current capability that is up to twice that of many similar drives on the market - allowing much faster acceleration. 
At the same time, the drives reduce costs by providing only the features that a significant majority of system builders want - according to a survey of users.

"The new servo drives integrate a very high-performance position control capability but at a middle-market price," says Metronix's Frank Essmann. "We've managed to reduce costs by up to 15% compared with our existing ranges, by carefully matching functions to the needs of a majority of our OEMs and automation engineer customers."

The ARS 2000 SE family of compact panel/cabinet-mounting drives are available in a choice of six single- or three-phase continuous output power ratings from 0.5 to 6 kVA - the same ratings as two other Metronix drive families with identical form-factors. This compatibility allows the drives to be used as more cost-effective replacements or upgrades in many applications, and ensures that machine builders can choose a drive offering optimized cost-performance.

The new drives incorporate three advanced features that are proving very popular with current Metronix customers. The first is an extremely compact design with integrated line and motor filters plus an integrated brake chopper and braking resistor. This is a typical characteristic of all Metronix drives - which are provided ready to use - avoiding the additional costs of external EMC filters and wiring.

The second feature is an increased overcurrent capability of four times the continuous output rating. This compares with the approximately two times overcurrent rating offered by many other servo drive manufacturers. The feature typically allows the speed of moves and the overall throughput of machines to be increased by factors from around 17 to 25 %. Metronix's tests demonstrate that these drives provide overall increases in automation productivity of around 5 to 7% in typical continuous processing applications.

The third advanced feature is the integration of Safe Torque Off (STO) functional safety. This is provided and certified to Category 4/PLe according to EN 13849-1 - the maximum rating achievable single-axis safety level in this category.

The new drives also feature a universal encoder interfacing capability that allows connection to resolvers, analog/digital incremental encoders, and single/multiturn absolute encoders such as HIPERFACE or EnDat. Standard communications interfaces include the CAN fieldbus - compatible with the DS 402 CANopen device profile. One further feature is an SD Card interface, which can be used to store firmware and operating parameters. This allows the drives to be commissioned very easily, and facilitates an easy change-out by maintenance workers - without any need for a sophisticated software parameterization tool. The drives come in case sizes with widths of 54 or 69 mm (2.1 or 2.7 inches).

Compared with Metronix's existing panel-mounting drives, the only significant features that have been omitted are an expansion capability in the form of two slots that accept plug-in modules - containing additional I/O, fieldbus interfaces, etc - and built-in power factor correction.

The drives' built-in intelligence provides enormous flexibility for system builders. It allows engineers to create highly cost-effective drive-based solutions easily for many common applications requiring one or a few axes, or economic solutions for subsystems in processing equipment performing functions such as labelling or handling. Other common applications include functions such as synchronizing, sorting and a flying saw, and axes that automate auxiliary machinery functions such as set up and guarding. The drives can also be used in more complex multi-axis machinery and plant automation - which can now be designed in a more flexible way thanks to Metronix's expanded drive portfolio.

A powerful and easy to use Windows-based software tool for parameterizing and analyzing the new drives is available. For more complex applications, Metronix offers a motion controller which can be integrated easily.

Metronix has been producing drive technology for industrial machines and automotive applications for over 30 years. Its product range includes smart servo drives with integrated positioning capability, plus motion controllers and accessories that provide cost-effective solutions for multi-axis motion control and automation, and decentralized machine control requirements. Metronix complements this capability with what is probably the most sophisticated and capable custom drive engineering service on the market today. Motion control products designed by Metronix are marketed under its own brand, and in custom forms by a number of well known industrial OEMs.

The company additionally makes geophysical instruments and customer-specific digital controls for measurement and control applications. Metronix is part of the Apex Tool Group, headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, USA. The Apex Tool Group has more than 7,600 employees in over 30 countries. Metronix' design and manufacturing facility is located in Braunschweig, Germany.

The “highest density of power & intelligence”

The Gold Drum HV 100/800, Elmo Motion Control’s latest super-compact servo drive, delivers up to 100 A and operates up to 800 VDC. This expands Elmo’s “Any Power” coverage from 10 W – 60 KW of qualitative servo power.

Elmo has launched the Gold Drum 100/800 ─ a 60 KW, high-performance, wide bandwidth servo drive yet with a very high-efficiency of around 99%.

Now they offer the widest range of network-based servo drives with an identical core and the same operating environment. As with any other member of the Gold Servo Drives family, the Gold Drum HV 100/800 demonstrates again that their products are “Smart, Small, Simple,” and full of features and capabilities.

The Gold Drum HV 100/800 is EtherCAT and CANOpen compliant and, in conjunction with Elmo’s Gold Maestro, creates a high-level, real-time, multi-axis network. Elmo’s ‘go-standard’ policy, allows easy expansion, upgrading, replacing or even adding non-Elmo products to the network.

The new products are developed to make life easier for customers: they are user-friendly; accessible; reduce integration time and maintenance costs; are easy to set up and tune using Elmo Application Studio (EAS) software tools; and have a Windows-based application so that users can configure the drive for optimal use with their motor without breaking a sweat. As part of Elmo’s Gold Line, the drives are based on existing technology to ensure the fastest time-to-market.

Main Features:
 “Direct to mains” operation from rectified 480VAC
 High speed networking by fully compliant EtherCAT, or CANOpen
 Supports any Feedback in any configuration: single, dual, gantry, etc.
 Wide bandwidth in current, velocity, position operating modes
 Advanced, extremely fast and most efficient vector control algorithm (current loop bandwidth: 4 kHz)
 Complies with most stringent Industrial Standards such as IEC61800, UL508c, UL60950, and EN61000

Eli Cohen, Elmo’s senior design engineer, said "We set out to bring to the market a drive that despite its small appearance is as intelligent as it is powerful – a great challenge and especially considering how diverse our other gold line products are. However, we invested significant resources and skills into this project and are proud to say that we have developed the highest density of power and intelligence in a compact package that places 60,000 watts at your fingertips!"