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Modular 400V servodrives are ‘the world’s smallest’
Published:  22 December, 2017

Nidec Control Techniques used the recent SPS IPC Drives show in Germany to preview a new generation of modular servodrives which, it claims, are the smallest 400V servodrives available. A 40mm-wide EtherCat variant of the Unidrive M750 will support five axes in the same width as a sheet of A4 paper, with 10mm to spare. The drive is also designed to fit into shallow 200mm cabinets.

A patented system allows machine-builders to further reduce cabinet sizes by up to 50% by expelling heat directly from the cabinet. This allows the drives to be stacked without needing a large air channel between them.

The drives are aimed at high-axis-count applications, and span ratings from 0.7–51Nm (153Nm peak) and 1.5–16A (48A peak). They are said to combine the benefits of a modular system with a common DC bus, with the flexibility of standalone drives.

The drives are aimed at high-overload pulse duty applications, as well as providing continuous servo control and induction motor control. Initially, there will be two versions:

•  The Unidrive M753 – an amplifier optimised for high-performance centralised control with onboard EtherCat, and rotary switches for assigning network addresses rapidly.

•  The Unidrive M751 Base version, which accepts up to two option modules from CT’s existing Unidrive M range, including Profinet, Ethernet/IP or IEC61131 high-performance motion controls for decentralised machine control.

The compact Control Techniques servodrives will be available in a choice of sizes

The servodrives adapt flexibly to centralised or distributed architectures, or to a combination of the two. They support all of the main industrial fieldbuses.

The drives’ 300% peak performance pulse-duty overload capabilities, along with 62µs current loops and 16kHz switching frequencies, means that they can be used in highly dynamic applications. Flexible speed and position interfaces support a variety of feedback technologies, from resolvers to single-cable digital encoders.

Easy-access pluggable connectors and a dedicated multi-axis paralleling kit allow rapid installation. Built-in braking resistors and electronic motor nameplates help to speed set-ups.

The new servodrives will be available initially in Germany and Italy, before being launched globally later in 2018.