Ethernet-enabled communication controllers
August 2009
PLCs, DCSs & Controllers
EtherCAT drive series expanded to 120 kW.
The AX5000 servo drive series from Beckhoff is being expanded to include drives with higher rated currents. A total of six new servo drives enhance the universally designed family for highly dynamic positioning tasks. Beckhoff is responding to the increasing demand for drives with greater power to replace pneumatic or hydraulic drives with more maintenance-friendly electrical axes, or to better cope with high dynamic demands under increased load conditions.
The drive series from Beckhoff integrates high-end control technology while supporting fast and highly dynamic positioning tasks. The drives utilise EtherCAT for high-performance system communication that is ideal to interface with PC-based control technology. The single-channel servo drives from the AX51xx series (rated up to 25 A) and the dual-channel AX52xx series (rated up to two x 6 A) are available and already in use.
The AX51xx will be supplemented with servo drives rated from 60 to 170 A for higher power. The drives are designed in three sizes with rated currents of 60, 72, 90, 110, 143 and 170 A. Motors of different sizes and types can be connected without additional measures. Examples include synchronous, linear, torque and asynchronous motors. The multifeedback interface supports all common standards.
A highlight of the series is the amount of power built into a small device. The advantage of full EtherCAT integration means that no additional interface cards are required and no internal conversion in the controller is necessary. EtherCAT permits the design of simple drives with no local parameter storage, resulting in greatly simplified commissioning and service in the event of maintenance. All motion control functions are intelligently handled by the centralised PC-based controller.
The 120 kW power packs are ideally suited for the replacement of hydraulic drives or for use as the main drive in machines with many small drives. Preferred applications for these high-powered drives include plastics processing, metal working, milling and boring machines and extruders.
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