Electricity + Control March 2019

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR

motion control applications, supporting PC-tool connection for commissioning and monitoring. All drives have a wide range of communications and expansion options and can be seamlessly paired with servo motors from the Control Tech- niques Dynamics ranges such as the Unimotor HD type with its 255 Nm peak torque and 1000 to 6000 rpm range. Size matters The Digitax HD series is one of the smallest drives available on the market for the functionality provid- ed. While meeting high levels of efficiency within the drive power stages, some heat is still generated by the drive which, given the high packing density, has to be effectively removed. Control Techniques has developed and patented its UltraFlow TM tech- nology which effectively dissipates heat directly outside of the cabinet for cooler internal tempera- tures. This can lead to a reduced cabinet size by up to 50% with the option to stack cabinets without the need for large air channels in between. In developing the Digitax HD series, Control Techniques drew on research carried out with its customers to identify the key features needed for a drive. These were: Speed and precision of motion; Reduced cabinet size; Ease of selection; Cost/price; Scalability; Class leading reliability; and Reduced installation time. Application examples are available that prove the attraction of the drive’s speed, response, versatility, simplicity and cost benefits whether from process energy savings or hardware reduction. Summary Motor drive specifiers have much to consider from the practical considerations of performance and size through to the life time costs of acquisition, maintenance, repair and upgrade.When upcoming changes are factored in such as Industry 4.0 auto- mation, a drive that is best-in-class performance, flexible, scalable and rich in communication op- tions is the right solution. This article was supplied by Control Techniques, part of the Nidec group.

by meeting standards such as IEC 61800-5-1 and UL508C for electrical safety and by incorporating such features as a Safe Torque Off (STO) control input for mechanical safety, preventing unexpect- ed motor rotation in the event of an emergency. Features like this should meet the requirements of Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) as defined in IEC 61508 Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/ Programmable Electronic Safety-related Systems. Digitax HD servo drive family Control Techniques, a UK-based Nidec group com- pany, has launched the Digitax HD family, a series of drives targeting servo motor applications with high axis count.

The Digitax HD servo drive from Control Techniques.

The Digitax HD family is optimised for high dynamic applications with a 62,5 μs current loop response, 250 μs position and speed loop response and up to 16 kHz switching frequency. The drive can operate with full servo control plus open-loop permanent magnet and induction motor control and with dif- ferent functionality levels. Motor loads can be from 0.25 kW to 7.5 kW, 1 A to 16 A with 48 A peak with torque ratings of 0. 7 Nm to 51 Nm, 153 Nm peak. The drive operates from 200 Vac or 400 Vac and is just 40 mm wide, fitting in a cabinet depth of 200 mm. Users will be familiar with the set-up of the drive as the Digitax HD series is compatible with existing design tools and is programmable with IEC 6131 standard languages. As well as a ‘base’ unit, versions are available with SI-Ethernet for centralised and decentralised motion control, an- other with full stand-alone capability without the need for an external controller, and a 2-port Eth- erCAT version for easy integration into centralised

Reference [1]. www.iea.org

6 Electricity + Control

MARCH 2019