Motors & Drives Information

Rated at 1,200 V, 3-phase analog Model IR22381 features integrated de-saturation and 0.5 [micro]sec deadtime. Models IR2277 and IR2271 are high-speed, single-phase current sense interface ICs with synchronous sampling for motor drive applications. Models IR2214 and IR22141 drive single half-bridge circuits in power switching applications as well as 3-phase 380 Vac circuits at up to 50 A at 80[degrees]C. For appliance motor drives and general-purpose inverter circuits, 1,200 V HVICs are available in 600 V versions.

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IR's integrated HVIC technology enables sophisticated protection and shrinks size compared to opto-coupler- or transformer-based discrete solutions.

EL SEGUNDO, CA., June 2005 - International Rectifier, IR[R](NYSE: IRF), a world leader in power management technology, today introduced a series of high voltage IGBT control ICs with a sophisticated set of protection functions. In addition to these advanced functions, these devices feature high noise immunity with up to 30% fewer components in half the footprint compared to discrete opto-coupler- or transformer-based solutions. The series consists of 1200V and 600V gate driver ICs and current sense interface ICs for a variety of applications including inverterized motor drives, general-purpose inverter circuits, switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

"This new suite of gate driver and sensor ICs made with IR's high voltage IC technology enables small circuits with full protection, including ground fault protection, which was once available only in high-end systems. The new ICs blaze a new path for low-end industrial or servo drives as well as cost-competitive appliances," said David Tam, Vice President of IR's Consumer and Industrial group.

Power stages using IGBTs or MOSFETs must be protected from failures such as short circuits, over-current conditions and ground faults. In addition to protection circuits, the fault conditions must be detected, or sensed, in order to enable the protection functions. IR's new line of driver ICs and sensor ICs fill this requirement, while reducing component count and simplifying circuits.

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Motor speed controller, 200XLV, drives brushed motors, gear-motors, low-inductance printed motors, and linear actuators rated up to 100 W. Suited for low-power applications that rely on unregulated dc or battery supply up to 48 V, 4-quadrant drive measures 82 x 40 x 50 mm and can motor and brake in both directions of rotation. It produces linear, noise free output and features manually adjustable IR drop compensation and speed ramping function.

Arundel, July 2005. Sprint Electric introduces the 200XLV, a miniature, fast response DC motor speed controller for driving brushed DC motors, gear-motors, low inductance printed motors and linear actuators rated up to 100W. The 200XLV is ideal for low power applications such as robotic control and antenna or security camera drives that rely on an unregulated DC or battery supply up to 48V. The unit operates from a single polarity supply and can accept a wide range of supply voltage. Despite measuring just 40mm wide, 82mm high and 50mm deep, the 200XLV is a genuine four quadrant drive that can motor and brake in both directions of rotation to offer outstanding control of motor speed and torque.

In low cost installations, where the use of a tacho generator would not be cost effective, speed regulation is achieved using armature voltage feedback. Speed droop under load can be reduced by the manually adjustable IR drop compensation. Offering high bandwidth and a superbly linear, noise free output, the 200XLV is ideal for control of linear actuators. Here the unit can be used with three term PID control, tacho input and position feedback for accurate speed and position control. A speed ramping function may also be added to provide a quicker response to sudden demand changes, while the drive's set point ramp facility can be used to limit slew rates for applications where a fast response is not required. The 200XLV can be used to control either motor speed or torque, and with internal precision references it provides ultra stable operation.

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In one package, 1587/MDT Advanced Motor and Drive Troubleshooting Kit provides all tools necessary to troubleshoot motor and variable frequency drive electrical problems. Included Fluke 1587 Insulation Multimeter provides insulation resistance testing up to 2 GW, with 5 output voltages from 50-1,000 V. Also included, Fluke i400 Current Clamp measures 1-400 A ac without breaking circuit, while Fluke 9040 Rotary Field Indicator enables user to check rotation of 3-phase motors.

EVERETT, Wash. - Fluke Corporation, the world's leading supplier of handheld test and measurement equipment, has introduced a kit designed to equip electricians and technicians with all the tools necessary to quickly and easily troubleshoot motor and variable frequency drive electrical problems. The 1587/MDT Advanced Motor & Drive Troubleshooting Kit combines in a single rugged case a Fluke 1587 Insulation Multimeter, a Fluke i400 Current Clamp and a Fluke 9040 Rotary Field Indicator.

The Fluke 1587 Insulation Multimeter combines in a single, compact tool a full-featured true-rms digital multimeter (DMM) and an insulation tester. Ideal for troubleshooting and preventive maintenance on motors, motor drives, cables and switchgear, the Fluke 1587 provides insulation resistance testing up to 2 GW, with five output voltages ranging from 50 V to 1000 V. The Fluke i400 Current Clamp can be used with the Fluke 1587 to accurately measure current (1 A ac to 400 A ac) without breaking the circuit, and the Fluke 9040 Rotary Field Indicator enables the user to easily check the rotation of three-phase motors.

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Microcomputer-based, dual channel Model AX1500 directly drives up to 30 A on each channel at up to 40 V. Fitted on 4.2 x 4.2 in. board, controller accepts commands from R/C radio or serial port interface. Two channels can be operated independently or combined to set direction and rotation of vehicle. Intelligent current sensing and controlling limits each channel's power output to 30 A for typical time required to accelerate or stop robot.

Phoenix, AZ, October 28, 2005 - Roboteq, Inc (www.roboteq.com) introduces a microcomputer-based dual channel DC motor controller capable of directly driving up to 30Amps on each channel at up to 40V. The AX1500 is targeted at designers of mobile robotic vehicles including Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV), Underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and robots for exploration, hazardous material handling, and military and surveillance applications. The motor controller is equally suitable to most traditional Motion Control applications in machines and factory automation.

Fitted on a compact 4.2" x 4.2" board, and targeted primarily to OEMs, the controller accepts commands from either standard R/C radio for simple remote controlled robot applications or serial port interface. Using the serial port, the AX1500 can be used to design fully or semi-autonomous robots by connecting it to single board computers, wireless modems or wireless LAN adapters.

The controller's two channels can be operated independently or combined to set the direction and rotation of a vehicle by coordinating the motion on each side of the vehicle. The motors may be operated in open or closed loop speed mode.

Using position sensors, they may also be set to operate as heavy-duty position servos.

The AX1500 features intelligent current sensing and controlling that will automatically limit each channel's power output to 30A for the time typically required to accelerate or stop a robot. If the motor's current draw remains excessive after that time (as in the case of stalled motor or other unusual loading), the controller will gradually reduce the power to user-selected values.

The controller supports a long list of features, including analog and digital I/Os for accessories and sensors, thermal protection, programmable acceleration, input command watchdog and non-volatile storage of configuration parameters.

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Offered in 5 sizes from 1-4/0 AWG, Large AWG Symmetrical VFD cables feature 3 stranded XLPE TC circuit conductors, 2 spiral copper tape shields for flexibility and EMI/RFI noise protection, and 3 symmetrical bare copper ground wires. Signal Pair VFD Brake Cables, comprised of 16-8 AWG VFD cables, feature 3 stranded XLPE TC circuit conductors, full size insulated green/yellow ground wire, dual (foil/braid) shield for EMI/RFI noise reduction, and signal pair for brake.

RICHMOND, IN - Belden CDT Electronics Division, a world leader in the development of specialty cable products for the industrial, commercial, broadcast and residential markets, announces the expansion of its line of Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) cables for industrial AC motor drive applications. Line additions include five Large AWG Symmetrical VFD cables and five new Signal Brake Pair VFD cables. The new cables supplement Belden's classic line of 16 to 2 AWG flexible VFD cables.

In industrial settings, VFD cables are used to carry power from AC drive systems to AC motors. In doing so, they are subjected to the high power levels of pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals, and also to extreme voltage. Voltage extremes can lead to a corona discharge between the cable's conductors, damaging not only the cabling, but the motors, bearings, drives and related equipment. This can result in drive failure and costly production downtime. Conventional VFD cabling solutions, such as armored cable and lead wire conduit, are cumbersome and difficult to install and do not solve noise and corona discharge problems. Belden's full line of VFD cables were designed and engineered to overcome these challenges.

The Belden series of VFD cables now includes:

- Large AWG VFD Cable with Symmetrical Design. The new 1 to 4/0 AWG cables feature three stranded XLPE TC circuit conductors and two spiral copper tape shields that improve flexibility and EMI/RFI noise protection. Three symmetrical bare copper ground wires provide a balance ground system to reduce AC motor shaft voltage, which reduces the likelihood of premature motor bearing or insulation failure. The large VFD cables are designed for use on larger, more powerful AC motor drives.

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Designed to detect potential problems before motor failure, CCIS current threshold alarm module monitors circuits rated from 1-30 A. Along with transistor and relay output capabilities, product features Hall Effect sensor that detects current level on line being monitored. A 24 Vdc signal is high when monitored current is below user-selected set point value and goes to 0 V in alarm mode. Threshold value can be regulated to detect dangerous currents.

To detect potential problems before motor failure, the CCIS current threshold alarm module can be used to monitor circuits from 1 to 30 amps. A Hall Effect sensor is used to detect the current level on the line being monitored. A 24 VDC signal is high when monitored current is below the user-selected set point value and goes to 0V in alarm mode. This threshold value can be regulated to detect dangerous currents, and this module also has transistor and relay output capabilities.

ASI offers other products for motors and drives such as terminal blocks, circuit breakers and frequency to analog signal converters.

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Designed for drive/motor setup and motion programming, EasyMotion Studio executes complex motion without requiring external controller. It has built-in motion controller and lets users design custom trajectories with PVT and PT interpolation. Motors are controlled with 100 [micro]s speed and position control feature. Users can simultaneously control motors with different speeds and build synchronized motion for drives/motors with electronic gearing and absolute/relative cams.

Technosoft presents EasyMotion Studio, the new software platform designed for drives/motors setup and motion programming. The software exploits the key advantage of Technosoft products: their ability to execute complex motion without requiring an external controller, thanks to their built-in motion controller.

Now, engineers can fully use the benefits offered by the new Technosoft drives/motors features integrated in this software. The motors are more accurately and quickly controlled with the 100 [micro]s speed and position control feature; users can design custom trajectories with PVT and PT interpolation; with electronic gearing and absolute/ relative cams they can simultaneously control motors with different speeds and build synchronized motion for drives/ motors. The user always knows what is happenning in the drives/motors network, through the task confirmation via messages feature.

Another major benefit for the operators is the easy use of EasyMotion Studio, as the setup and motion programming parts are developed separately: the EasySetUp software for drive/motor setup, and the Motion Wizard for motion programming.

EasySetUp allows a quick setup of the drive/motor application using only two dialogs: Drive Dialog and Motor Dialog. This module is recommended when motion programming and control are done via an external device like an industrial PC or PLC, using motion libraries. The output of EasySetUp is a collection of setup data that can be downloaded into a drive/motor EEPROM or saved on a PC. At power-on, the setup data saved in a drive/motor EEPROM is used for initialization. EasySetUp offers the possibility of retrieving the complete setup information from a previously programmed drive/motor.

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Chorus Motors plc announces that a patent, titled "High Phase Order Motor with Mesh Connected Windings", No. 6,657,334, was issued by the US Patent Office on December 2nd 2003.

The patent refers to a motor drive system that can supply high torque at low speeds while also being capable of providing sufficient voltage for high speed applications. Such a motor is ideal for applications requiring frequent stops and starts, where high torque at low speed is needed, and alternating with long periods of continuous running, where efficiency at high speed is required.

The combination of these two goals is achieved by using full span windings in a high phase order "Chorus" (R) AC induction motor and connecting the motor terminals with a mesh connection which presents a variable impedance to the inverter.

The machine impedance can be varied electronically, for example, using software that measures the demands made on the motor and adjusts its performance to suit. The effect is to change the Volts/Hertz ratio of the motor so that the available electrical power from the inverter can be applied in the way best suited to the job at hand.

The result is a lighter and more efficient electric motor/drive system which Chorus Motors plc has named Chorus (R) Meshcon (TM) to distinguish it from the standard Chorus system that provides high torque overload capabilities but has no variable impedance control. Any application requiring high start-up torque without compromising high speed operation, such as materials handling, locomotives, and starter--generators, benefits from this technology.

The full patent is available for download at http://www.chorusmotors.com along with detailed information about Chorus drive technology.

"Chorus Meshcon is a genuine breakthrough in AC induction motor technology", said Isaiah Cox, President of Chorus Motors plc. "With this proprietary technology, our company is poised to take a leading role in the development of motors for traction and stop-go applications across a wide range of industries."

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Semikron Limited and Chorus Motors plc are pleased to announce a development agreement between the two parties regarding the Chorus Meshcon motor and drive technology.

The agreement gives Semikron exclusive supplier status for certain markets in return for Semikron design and application expertise as it relates to the Chorus Meshcon drive. Semikron is designing Chorus Meshcon integrated power assemblies for test motor and drive systems, and expecting to design and manufacture Chorus Meshcon integrated power assemblies for mass markets, including such possible markets as starter-alternators for cars, conveyors, locomotives, hoists, robotics, printing presses, and an alternative for some hydraulics, where it is desirable for the motor to stop and start frequently, often under load.

The support of Semikron's experienced design team is expected to move Chorus rapidly to market, first via test units which are being offered to major motor and drives companies, and subsequently in mass production for Chorus Meshcon licensees.

Paul Newman, Managing Director of Semikron Limited said, "We are very excited about the Chorus Meshcon technology. We are expecting Chorus Meshcon to lead to considerable new business for Semikron.

"Chorus Meshcon has the potential to deliver sizable profits to motor and drive companies because of its inherently low cost approach. For specific markets, Chorus Meshcon drives will cost significantly less than conventional drives for the same sized motors, and thus the entire motor system will be less expensive as well as offering more flexibility."

Isaiah Cox, President of Chorus Motors plc said, "This agreement is an excellent step forward for Chorus Motors. It gives us a world-class partner in power electronic integration, ensuring that the Chorus Meshcon technology can achieve its fullest product and market potential. It is our expectation that this agreement will lead to enhanced mutual profit as Chorus Meshcon moves to market. Semikron is an excellent partner, and we are very excited about getting Chorus Meshcon to market."

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BOSTON -- Frost & Sullivan presented ABB Pulp & Paper with the 2004 Customer Value Enhancement Award for the motors, drives, and power transmission segment at last night's Excellence in Customer Value Enhancement Awards Banquet.

ABB Pulp and Paper received this award from Frost & Sullivan for driving innovative value creation and delivering unsurpassed value to its customers. As well as helping the company increase market share.

"With a winning combination of industry expertise and application focus that provides added value, ABB has capitalized on its installed base and demonstrated consistent performance in customer value enhancement," notes Frost & Sullivan industry manager Sath Rao.

ABB introduced the Industrial IT Papermaking Suite 3.0, a 'one stop shop' solution to enable pulp and paper customers to leverage existing investment in automation and hardware while exploiting the new generation control strategies. Its integrated drives and motor solutions, in conjunction with field control devices, provide superior control strategies -- much to the satisfaction of its customers.

The Direct IT Drive, ABB's latest innovation is an integral part of the Papermaking Suite. The first of its kind in the industry, it provides an original mechanical configuration of the paper machine and eliminates the need for mechanical gearboxes. Fewer components and simpler configurations reduce plant engineering, make installation easier, and allow more efficient use of mill floor space.

The wide-ranging product portfolio of ABB that includes systems, drivers, and motors provides a common platform for both control and user interfaces. Systems designed by ABB help customers obtain data on both production processes as well as enterprise information systems and enable them to monitor key performance indices in real time.

ABB Pulp and Paper's product suite of quality control systems, distributed control systems, and drives a successful combination that helps customers optimize operations, increase productivity, and cut costs. Supplementing this combination, the Industrial IT systems provide a well-orchestrated strategy to help pulp and paper companies face issues such as fast product changes at considerably reduced costs.

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NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY

One way to beat the competition for mold and die production is to collapse the time it takes to make them. For instance, instead of producing a die in forty days from concept to finished product, do it in ten days..

That's just the scheme that Scott Walker, president of Mitsui Seiki USA Inc. (Franklin Lakes, NJ) says they developed with their new VL30 Vertical Mold Center. According to Walker, the VL30 is the first five-axis linear motor machining center that can make molds faster, more accurately, and with better surface finishes than EDM and conventional vertical spindle milling machines-- the typical processes for machining molds. A demonstration mold part machined at IMTS would take up to 40 days to produce from concept through finished product. With the VL30, machining time was reduced from 30 hr of conventional processing to 2 hr.

"One of the drivers in the mold industry is the need for quicker delivery of high-accuracy mold components," says Walker. "EDM is a very slow process costing several weeks in delivery time. Our machine eliminates EDM processing and machines hard dies complete, reducing moldmaking from weeks to days. This allows moldmakers to respond to their customers' delivery needs quickly."

The VL30 is a solution for mold and die manufacturers to increase productivity and reduce the high cost of hand-polishing and fitting mold inserts. Further, it uses high-thrust, high-efficiency linear motor drives for all axes, providing high-- response movement without backlash and dramatically increases acceleration and deceleration rates. It provides excellent speed and motion control when performing high-speed point milling in typical mold work and other multiaxis contouring applications. The VL30 delivers a cutting feed rate up to 1574 ipm (40 m/min) with a quick, 1G acceleration/deceleration rate.

Specifications include 7.9 x 11.8 x 7.9" (200.6 x 300 x 200.6-mm) X, Y, Z axes envelope, an 11.8 x 15.8" (300 x 401-mm) table size and a compact 47 x 140" (1.2 x 3.6-m) footprint.

On the VL30, the 5.5-hp (4.10-- kW) high-speed spindle accepts HSK25 tooling and provides spindle speeds up to 50,000 rpm for precise roughing and fine finishing of small molds and mold components. An integrated toolchanger holds as many as 12 tools. The machine can also be used in precision grinding applications.

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One of the more challenging side effects of today's engine emissions technology is that the new engines generate more heat than their predecessors. That trend will accelerate in Tier 3 and later Tier 4.

There are also several additional complications. Engines must operate in a relatively narrow temperature range to meet the emissions levels, yet off-highway engines typically operate in the broadest range of climates imaginable, from desert heat to arctic cold. Along with basic engine cooling, there is also a growing number of other cooling loads to be dealt with--engine and hydraulic oil cooling, air conditioning refrigerant, charge-air cooling, transmission cooling, etc. These increased cooling loads must be accommodated in the same, or often less, space in the engine compartment. Finally, there are the traditional requirements of cost and reliability that must at the very least be maintained.

To address this list of challenges, one technology that has received increasing attention has been hydraulic fan drive systems. An alternative to traditional engine-mounted, belt-driven fans, hydraulic fan drive systems have evolved over the last decade from relatively simple on/off systems into sophisticated, digitally controlled units that provide several operating and packing advantages.

Perhaps the primary benefit of hydraulic cooling systems is their ability to control fan speed independent of engine speed, which allows the fan to be operated at the precise rpm needed to accommodate the thermal load at any given part of the operating cycle. This is critical in terms of overall cooling efficiency and engine fuel economy, as typical belt-drive systems can consume as much as 10% of engine horsepower.

"Cooling system designers are beginning to recognize that the major advantage of de-coupling the cooling fan from the engine shaft or pulley system is not the ability to place the radiator virtually anywhere, or move the cooling pack away from the engine to gain easy access," said Gary Gotting, global industry market manager, fan drives for Parker Hannifin's Mobile Division. "The critical facts are that a de-coupled system is the only way to achieve higher cooling rates at low engine speeds and the only practical way to achieve cooling on demand which, during 'ram air' operation saves fuel, cuts both emissions and noise generation and flees up engine horsepower to increase productivity.

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Chorus Motors plc (OTC: CHOMF) today received an additional patent covering its Meshcon electric motor technology and a patent for a new technology that will reduce costs and increase the efficiency of hydraulic drive systems. The new patents were issued today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and reflect Chorus' continuing intensive research and development work on motor and drive technologies.

The first patent, "Mesh Connected Electrical Rotating Machine with Span Changing," No. 6,838,791, issued today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enables a motor to provide high torque overload at low speeds while also providing sufficient voltage for high-speed operations.

It describes an AC induction motor with variable impedance in which windings are connected in a mesh so that harmonic current can be supplied in a way that alters and controls the volts/Hertz ratios in the winding spans. This enables a motor drive to exploit previously unobtainable overload capabilities of a motor and produce significantly better performance.

The second patent issued today, "Polyphase Hydraulic Drive System," No. 6,837,141, describes an improved hydraulic drive system that eliminates the need for hydraulic valves. It enables an input drive system to be connected directly to an output drive system, without the need for hydraulic valves. The invention will permit reduced complexity, cost, and maintenance of hydraulic drive systems, while also improving reliability and efficiency.

Chorus Motors President Isaiah Cox said: "Our Poly-Hydro technology is in its infancy and we're still considering the implications and the best applications for it. But any technology that can provide a high performance geared system for hydraulics without the use of expensive hydraulic valves must surely have a bright future in today's cost-challenged industrial world."

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In a word, the strong suit of Wultec International Inc., the Canada-based manufacturer of end-of-line packaging equipment specializing in stretch wrapping machinery, is strength.

Just as stretch wrapping has no rival in unitizing pallet loads of any type or shape, Wulftec is unrivaled in fashioning stretch wrapping equipment that attaches a significant importance to strength. All of its structures are built with heavy-duty, cold-rolled steel, large motors, oversized chain lifts and high horsepower. Wulftec's tailor-made stretch wrap applications perfectly suit warehousing environments, which traditionally rank among the highest-turnover areas in any plant.

"In reality, our machines don't break down a lot," says Steve Fleming, Wulftec's director of sales and marketing. Since 1990, Wulftec has been synonymous with ease of operation, unmatched warranties and durability in the stretchwrapping industry. "Many customers like to literally pick up the machine and move it wherever in the plant they're doing a lot of stretch wrapping that day," Fleming adds, "without worries about any damage."

In an industry where service and strength prevail, Wulftec is a muscular presence. "Over the last year, we've sold equipment to the absolute largest corporations in America," Fleming notes. "By the end of this year, we'll nearly triple our annual sales volume of six years ago." Keys to this success are well-engineered machinery and an organization that's easy to deal with.

The "Wulftec Advantage" boasts steel-clad construction fitted with Allen Bradley programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for low maintenance and high reliability. Wulftec was the first in North America to offer AC variable frequency drives as standard equipment. Superior warranties are another advantage, including lifetime guarantees on prestretched film rollers, the heart of the machine. "We're the only ones that do that," says Fleming. Another friendly feature is non-proprietary parts, which makes them easily accessible locally.

Among new products Wulftec will showcase at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2005, Sept. 26 to 28, are:

* The Smart Series, a "smart" approach to semi-automatic stretchwrapping that allows customers to pick and choose components for the exact machine required and pay only for features they want. Three models will be displayed: the SML-150-B, SMH-200-S and the automated SMLPA-200-D.

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