Servo drives for washdown and hygienic environments

May 2026 Motion Control & Drives

Kollmorgen, a global leader in motion control and automation solutions, has expanded the application range of its Kollmorgen Essentials servo drive/KED to include hygienic and washdown environments. Kollmorgen Essentials Drive was designed with simplicity and flexibility in mind for fast commissioning and reliable performance at a value driven price. By pairing KED with AKMA aluminium washdown motors and AKMH stainless steel hygienic servo motors, machine builders can now achieve high-performance motion in demanding washdown applications, without the cost typically associated with washdown and hygienic servo systems.

Kollmorgen Essentials servo drives support multiple industrial Ethernet protocols out of the box, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP and PROFINET, providing broad connectivity while reducing system and inventory complexity.

Cost-effective absolute feedback for washdown applications

To further extend this value, AKMA and AKMH motors are now available with Smart Feedback Device, Multi-Turn (SFD-M),enabling Kollmorgen Essentials servo drives to support absolute multi-turn positioning in hygienic and washdown.

SFD-M delivers high-resolution absolute feedback without the cost and maintenance associated with battery-backed encoders. Its energy harvesting technology stores position information through power cycles, while embedded motor data enables automatic drive configuration and faster commissioning with all Kollmorgen servo drives, including KED, AKD and AKD2G.

“High resolution, absolute multiturn feedback has traditionally required stepping up to a higher-cost servo system,” said Chris Cooper, global director of Product Management. “By integrating SFD-M into our AKMA and AKMH motors for use with the Kollmorgen Essentials servo drive, we’re delivering that same precision and control in a cost-effective solution designed for food and beverage, pharmaceutical packaging, and other washdown applications.”

Designed for washdown and hygienic environments

AKMA motors feature anodised aluminium housings with IP69K protection for medium to heavy-washdown applications. AKMH motors provide stainless steel construction with IP69K sealing for daily washdown environments involving high pressure, elevated temperatures, and caustic cleaning agents.

With SFD-M available across these extended motor families, Kollmorgen delivers a unified 24-bit absolute feedback solution that provides consistent precision across a wide range of environments. Combined with Kollmorgen Essentials servo drives, machine builders gain high-performance, affordable motion solutions they can rely on for washdown and hygienic applications.

For more information contact Kollmorgen, +44 1905 917 477, [email protected], www.kollmorgen.com/en-us

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