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Motor Drive Market Recovering Quickly

Nov. 19, 2003
The doldrums of 2002 give way to a bright future for industrial drives of almost all types. (Part 1 of 3)

Both European and North American motor drive markets suffered badly in 2002, says IMS Research (www.imsresearch.com). In fact, IMS says, 2002 was one of the worst years ever for drives. The North American market dropped 4.2%, its second year of losses, while the European market declined 1%.

But every cloud has a silver lining, including the ones hovering over drives. Nearly every recent study points to boom times ahead for smart drives, micro drives, servo drives, high-power drives, and low-power drives.

Following is a brief summary of what suppliers are offering these days in drives. We were surprised to see that only a few have added Ethernet connections. In fact, only a few drives even mention how you might communicate with them. Finding out how to talk to these new drives is a good excuse for calling the company. We've provided web addresses and phone numbers to help you with your search for the right drive product.

(Note: This is the first part of three segments covering motors and drives. Look for the second installment the week of November 24th.)

Ready to Run

The P7 drive for industrial pumps and fans provides v/f control, 110% overload capability, and DeviceNet, Profibus-DP, Ethernet, and other network and I/O options. Factory programmed and ready to run, an LCD operator display features five lines of 16 characters in any of seven languages. Drive coordination is simplified with 4-20 mA and 0-10 V inputs and outputs.

Yaskawa Electric America

800/927-5292;

www.drives.com

Won't Sag

www.SquareD.com.
The Altivar CL8839 58M family of drives have built-in Ethernet connectivity, are certified for compliance with the SEMI F47 voltage sag requirements of the semiconductor industry, and have horsepower ratings up 500 hp. Packaged in Type 1, Type 12, integrated or barriered enclosures for wall or floor mounting, the drives come with an optional door mounted display center with a three-color matrix screen for clear messaging. A four-position selector switch simplifies monitoring and control capabilities for increased productivity. The UL listed drives conform to all international standards including NEMA ICS, NFPA and IEC.

Schneider Electric

800/392-8781 or visit

Drive Connects to Ethernet

The GS2 line of AC drives is available with the GS-EDRV interface card that provides an Ethernet link between a drive and a control system with Modbus TCP/IP capability. The card mounts on a DIN rail, processes input signals from the drive, formats the signals to conform to the Ethernet standard, and transmits the signals to the controller. It also receives and translates output signals from the controller to the drive.

AutomationDirect

770/889-2858; www.automationdirect.com

Digital Servo Drives Start Fast

S200 series brushless servo drives have a velocity loop bandwidth up to 800 Hz, 3-5 kHz current loop bandwidth, and 24-bit resolution feedback for smooth motion and rapid start and stop action. The drives come standard with torque or velocity control, with indexing, CANopen, and DeviceNet available as options. Drives are available for 120/240 VAC or 20-90 VDC operation with current ratings from 1 A rms continuous to 18 A rms peak. They are UL 508C listed, CE marked, and conform to EN50178 and EN61800-3 standards.

Danaher Motion

866/316-8437; www.danahermotion.com

Smooth Motors and Drives

Beta i series of drive amplifiers, servo motors, and spindles provide smooth rotation and low rotor inertia. The SVPM integrated spindle and servo amplifier is available in ratings up to 15 kW, and can drive two or three servomotors up to 22 NM each. Single-axis servo amplifiers also are available for auxiliary axis and basic motion control. Servomotors are available from 0.2-22NM and spindles are available from 3k-12kW.

GE Fanuc

800/648-2001; www.gefanuc.com

Variable Frequency Drives Save Energy

NXS and NXL variable-frequency drives allow fans and pump motors to run at slower speeds, thereby reducing energy consumption and providing a typical one year payback time. Drives are available in three-phase voltage ranges from 208/230 to 460 VAC. Horsepower ranges from 3/4-125 in the NXS family, and 1/2-3 hp in the NXL family.

Honeywell Industrial Measurement and Control

215/641-3798; www.honeywell.com

Drive Takes Lots of Abuse

The PowerFlex 70 NEMA 4X has an IP66-rated enclosure that protects against high-pressure water spray, corrosion, and circulating dust, conforming to NSF standards for food equipment. The AC drive is available in ratings of 0.37 kW/0.5 hp to 15 kW/20 hp. It meets CSA, CUL, UL, C-Tick, CE, EMC, and low-voltage specs. The main control board has built-in digital and analog I/O, including six digital inputs, two relay inputs, two analog inputs, and one analog output.

Rockwell Automation

800/223-5354; www.abpowerflex.com

Goes Both Ways

The ES01/ES02 series can control AC motors and gearmotors over a speed range of 90-1,600 rpm. Control functions include acceleration and deceleration, instantaneous stopping, and the ability to set desired speed with a built-in or external potentiometer. Both meet UL1004 and 2111 standards as well as CSA C22.2 No. 100 and 77 requirements. The controllers can be used with the company's K and V series AC induction or reversible speed control motors.

Oriental Motor USA

800/406-7484; www.orientalmotor.com