ARC Advisory Group (www.arcweb.com) says small drives are getting so much capability that they will be able to replace smaller control systems used in industrial OEM machines. ARC predicts that low-power AC drives will grow at a rate of 4.7%, reaching $5.1 billion by 2007.
ARC also says the servo drives market will grow by nearly 7.8% to about $2.2 billion in 2003, and then increase by 10% in 2004. ARC says this growth will be driven largely by Japan. The North American market will remain relatively flat in 2003, and start to pick up in 2004.
Applications for servo drives include CNC, robotics, and general motion control, says ARC.
One reason for the success of high-power AC drives, says ARC, is their significant energy savings. When big AC drives are used for material handling, crane controls, building automation, and water and waste treatment, they use less energy than more traditional methods.
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.
(Editor's Note: This is the third and final installment of our roundup of motors and drives.) |
Integrated Control--Animatics
Fast Connections--Siemens E&A
Stepper Motors Graduate--Copley Controls
Custom Panels for AFD--Danfoss
Drives Offer HVAC Functions--Eaton Electrical
HV9000 Series drives communicate via LonWorks and Modbus RTU, and even have functions for HVAC applications including smoke purge, PW setback, and PI control. Drives are available 1-1,000 hp, and 208, 230, 480, and 575 V. Preset software options reduce setup time and ease programming for applications such as pump and fluid control. Eaton Electrical; 800/356-1243; www.cutler-hammer.eaton.com
Fluent VFD--Bosch Rexroth
Has Good Brakes--Mitsubishi Electric
Digital Drive Does Velocity--Advanced Motion Controls
It's That Basic--AC Technology