VSDs as an IIoT tool for OEMs and manufacturers.

In their efforts to remain globally competitive, manufacturers face many challenges including fluctuating demand, mass customization, high productivity, and consistency of quality. The machine builders (OEMs) that support them face their own set of challenges. VSDs as an IIoT tool are a differentiator for OEMs and manufacturers, giving them the ability continuously adapt machines to meet changes required by customer.

For OEMs, success hinges on their ability to build better performing smart machines in terms of production speed and output quality. Flexible architectures are necessary to comply with varying end-user specifications. Connectivity and integration into different architectures is also important, as is accommodating infrastructure for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Finally, machines must not compromise the machine operator’s safety.

Addressing these challenges has become simpler thanks to recent enhancements on the variable speed drives (VSD). A VSD is an automation component that controls and regulates the speed and rotational force, or torque output, of an electric motor. VSDs are altering the way mechanical movement-oriented processes such as packaging, material handling, material working and hoisting are managed. Control of mechanical movements relies heavily on drive technologies with the ability to start and stop motors rapidly. This needs sufficient fluxing and motor current, and with the ability (accuracy) to repeat tasks during a given process. Precise control of mechanical movements in these application areas results in the following benefits:

Efficiency

Industry accounts for more than 40% of world electricity consumption. Within the industrial sector, electrical motors account for more than half of all electricity consumption. Most are synchronous motors because of their better energy efficiency and dynamism. VSDs can control IE2, IE3, IE4 induction motors, reluctance motors and synchronous motors because they are much more efficient than DOL starting methods. Depending on the application, VSDs can save up to 30% energy savings compared to DOL. They also place lower mechanical stress on the equipment, which significantly extends equipment lifetime.

Safety

In applications like material working or woodworking, emergency stop functions help to avoid accidents by stopping the machine quickly. Securing applications like material handling and conveying frequently use safety sensing devices, such as light curtains and door locks. They can limit machine speed, or stop it if necessary. Drives use with safe torque-off (STO) dual safety input, and comply with machine safety standards such as EN ISO 13849-1 and EN62061. They meet the machinery directives, and can address specialised safety needs. They also contribute to optimising the machine design, and offer perceptive and simple-to-integrate functional safety.

Dynamism and repeatability

In conveying applications, products on the conveyor belt must be in a certain pattern. Machines along the belt first group the products and then pass them along. This happens very fast, yet not all sub-processes involved are moving along at the same speed. This required precise and rapid acceleration and deceleration. The VSD provides the high output torque and high speed cyclic application tasks to capture the rapid input signals or control commands of the application. This ensures repeatability of the process.

Predictive maintenance

When equipped with a web server, some VSDs monitor the continuity of an application using time-stamped motor or drive relevant data. In addition, the motor or drive data can be shared with a master; programmable logic controller (PLC), in the event of an application fault. The VSD provides a range of motor and drive information. This includes motor current, thermal state, torque, drive thermal state, and DC bus voltage at time of a fault. This allows for in-depth root cause analysis. Triggering alarms and warnings avoids unnecessary downtime due to recurring faults

Connectivity and cybersecurity

When used as connected devices, VSDs log application data with time-stamp without physically having sensors. As more industrial machines and control systems connect to the internet, cybersecurity becomes a growing concern. Industry-recognised security benchmarks has resulted in these machines offering protection against cyber threats.

New VSDs also provide machine builders with the flexibility they need to accommodate demanding end user requirements. This includes the ability to control interfaces such as communication fieldbuses, pulse trains, and digital or analogue I/O. The drives are capable of controlling motors in both open loop or closed loop.  In addition, VSDs that support web services bring IIoT connectivity at the device level. This offers the machine builders the possibility to analyse and improve their applications or perform diagnostics locally or remotely. This enables them to implement fixes while testing and avoid the occurrence of unexpected downtime in the future.

To learn more about VSDs for high performance machines, click here.