At Automate 2022, Lenze demonstrated the motion capabilities of its high precision i950 servo drives with onboard control.
The growth of advanced computing power embedded in a growing number of devices has changed the face of automation, and variable frequency drives, alternatively referred to as inverters, are a big part of this trend. Capable of controlling motors by varying the frequency and voltage of their power supply, VFDs can improve energy efficiency; reduce unnecessary mechanical strain; and calibrate torque, speed, and power to best suit process requirements. Moreover, as intelligence has migrated from centralized programmable logic controllers (PLCs) into decentralized VFDs, new functionality such as networking, diagnostics, and more precise control has made them an invaluable asset.
According to Lenze, "The intelligent i950 cabinet servo inverter can be easily integrated into modular machine solutions on the basis of prepared technology applications—parameterization instead of programming. The same architecture, the same engineering and the use of the same application software, based on decades of application experience, dissolve the boundaries between centralized and decentralized motion control."
Moreover, the i950 comes with a "FAST Application Software Toolbox." Through the use of the toolbox, the pre-designed software modules can be customized and extended. The i950 cabinet servo inverter also serves as a power extension of the i700 cabinet servo inverter in the Lenze automation system in the range from 22 to 110 kW.
At Lenze's exhibit, four i950 drives were used to operate a juggling machine without the need for an external controller, vision system, or other sensors. The motion control and positioning of each individual drive is handled internally. Real-time communication between the drives is enabled via EtherCAT.
