INSTRUMENTATION • ELECTRONICS
Nord has been producing drive technologies since the 1980s
DRIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION
Modern drive technology must be adaptable, customisable and easy to integrate into all automation architectures. Jörg Niermann introduces a range of effi cient drive systems with decentralised intelligence
T
he future of production is fl exible. T is requires new systems with decentralised intelligence that can cope with increasing process
complexity. In the course of the digitalisation and modularisation of process plants the trend for decentralised system structures continues unabated. Intelligent drive technology is a key technology because it enables the operation of networked and autonomous production processes of future ‘smart factories’ and keeps them running. Drive concepts with frequency inverters mounted directly on the motors or in the immediate vicinity off er many advantages,
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especially for large plants and in modular mobile systems. Benefi ts include the fact that distribution of drive tasks to individual, intelligent components close to the machine reduces the complexity of the system. At the same time, modular structures provide maximum fl exibility. Changes to the system architecture can be made at any time without large structural modifi cations. Decentralised solutions are also especially maintenance and service-friendly. Defective units can be quickly and easily repaired or replaced. Pre-confi guration of the frequency inverters at the factory also enables easy commissioning.
As well as this, less space is required in the control cabinet. Consequently, the control cabinet can be smaller or may even be eliminated entirely. As there is no frequency inverter as an extra source of heat in the control cabinet, costs for air conditioning are reduced. T is in turn has a positive eff ect on the energy balance. A further advantage is that cable and wiring costs are reduced to a minimum thanks to the proximity of the motor to the frequency inverter. Only very short cables are used (if at all). For users, decentralisation of drive technology therefore means faster commissioning and reduced costs in addition to simplifi ed maintenance and repair processes. With a modular concept, maximum fl exibility is also retained, as modifi cations and extensions to the system design are easily possible at any time. With its range of modular products for decentralised drive electronics, Nord Drivesystems covers most requirements and applications. T e drive components have a power range of up to 22kW and a PLC that is integrated as standard, and can be supplied with all commercially available connectors. T ey can be freely confi gured and adapted to any application. T anks to the PLC’s integrated
inverter, the decentralised drives can form master-slave groups, which communicate with each other and assume control tasks independently. T is allows a plant design with production groups and production islands. T e PLC processes the data from sensors and actuators and can autonomously initiate control sequences, as well as communicating drive and application data to a control centre, networked components or to cloud storage. T is allows continuous condition monitoring and therefore forms the basis for predictive maintenance concepts as well as optimum plant dimensioning.
INNOVATIVE INVERTERS T anks to their modular structure, Nord frequency inverters can be easily extended and off er a variety of scenarios for use in Industry 4.0 automation networks. T eir fi elds of use range from conveyor technology and intralogistics to drive tasks in the packaging and food industries as well as pump applications. T e latest extensions to the range are
in the Nordac Link fi eld distributor series. T is drive control for fl exible, decentralised
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