Kinetix servo drive, motor improve motion application efficiency

January 23, 2013 5:17 am

Kinetix servo drive, motor improve motion application efficiency
Rockwell Automation has introduced the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drive, Kinetix VP low-inertia (VPL) servo motor, and single-cable technology as an integrated motion solution on EtherNet/IP that is more compact, easier to use and simplifies system wiring.
“Machine and equipment builders are challenged with making smaller, complex equipment in a shorter design cycle and at a lower price point,” said Mike Schweiner, Product Manager (Kinetix), Rockwell Automation. “Our new single-cable Kinetix motion solution gives machine builders a proven solution for both servo and induction motor control on a single-development platform that will result in less design time and cabinet space with improved power density and efficiency.”
The Kinetix 5500 servo drive joins the Kinetix 350 and Kinetix 6500 drives to provide more options to match motion control needs. Integrated motion control on EtherNet/IP eliminates the need for a dedicated motion network, reducing cabling by up to 60 per cent and removing the need to create gateways to get information to or from secluded networks. Additionally, the KinetixVPL motor’s new winding technology and DSL encoder, connected with the smart-cable technology, allows power transmission and feedback communication to and from the Kinetix 5500 drive to take place on a single cable. This further simplifies application design and limits points of failure for improved reliability and uncomplicated maintenance.
Ideal for packaging, material handling or converting systems with more than six axes, the Kinetix 5500 and Kinetix VPdrive-motor system does not require discrete power rail or additional accessories, so machines can be scaled up as needed. Optimally matched motor and drive ratings use half the energy of comparable solutions, while still providing 125-microseconds loop closure for maximum performance.
The Kinetix 5500 drive is the first Kinetix drive designed with an external common AC/DC bus connection system. It reduces hardware requirements and allows for seamless scalability, using a single platform for either single axis or multiaxis systems. The Kinetix 5500 drive has also the ability to control both servo and induction motors, provide best power density that reduces the size of the drive and cabinet space required by up to 50 percent, and simplify machine maintenance by minimising the need to fuse or use contactors. Additionally, the system can be optimised to balance power use and lower energy needs because of its unique ability to share power across multiple drives. The Kinetix VPL servo motor uses the same proven magnetic core as the Allen-Bradley MP-Series servo motors.
The Kinetix 5500 drive is supported by the recently released Rockwell Software Studio 5000 integrated engineering environment and can be used with the Integrated Motion Encoder on EtherNet/IP to provide a feedback only axis solution for Allen-BradleyControlLogix 5570 and CompactLogix 5370 programmable automation controllers. A feedback only axis allows the motion application to synchronize efforts with other portions of a machine or line for more efficient production.