Drive made for networking

Baldor has launched a new generation of its intelligent brushless servo drive, which integrates a full motion controller with fieldbus capability.

Baldor has launched a new generation of its intelligent brushless servo drive, which integrates a full motion controller with fieldbus capability to provide a cost-effective solution for implementing distributed motion control.

Called MintDrive II, the new drive extends performance in a variety of ways including plug-on configuration of fieldbus and encoder interfacing, much higher throughput, and operation from three-phase supplies.

Since introducing its first intelligent drive three years ago - the first to offer a full-featured motion controller rather than basic positioning capability - Baldor has witnessed an enormous take-up from machine builders with year on year shipment growths of 150%.

MintDrive II fuels this fast-growing trend, with a redesign which both reduces costs and allows OEMs to make even further savings by configuring and populating the interfacing and I/O to closely match their needs.

MintDrive II provides an amplifier for a single-axis brushless AC servo motor -in a choice of output ratings up to 19kW- together with a motion controller equipped with the high-level Mint programming language, fieldbus networking and onboard I/O.

This combination of features allows the unit to perform the most complex movement profiles, to eliminate the need for a PLC, and to operate as a distributed device on an industrial network.

In the new design, the fieldbus interface has been implemented as a plug-on daughterboard to provide flexibility.

Two choices are available immediately, with Profibus-DP joining Baldor's traditional offering of CAN.

This flexible configuration arrangement has also been extended to position feedback, allowing users to specify plug-on resolver or incremental encoder interfaces - or the latest EnDat absolute encoders which eliminate datum checks on power-up - according to application requirements.

MintDrive II's onboard I/O has additionally been re-engineered to give OEMs greater flexibility, with the established complement of 18 optoisolated inputs, nine optoisolated outputs and a relay, two 8bit analogue outputs, and two 12bit precision analogue inputs, split into two blocks.

The analogue I/O and some digital I/O is implemented on the motherboard as standard.

Further digital I/O is available via a Baldor plug-on module, or any CANopen-compatible modules.

This high degree of modularity, together with the value re-engineering on the new motherboard design, provides OEMs with substantial savings compared with previous prices.

MintDrive II's intelligence stems from a powerful new embedded motion controller.

Based on a dual-CPU architecture with a DSP and conventional microprocessor, the new system operates several times faster than the previous design.

Baldor estimates execution speed increases of from two to five times depending on the application - providing existing users with a simple means of upgrading machinery designs.

The onboard multitasking Mint language means that application software can be written and commissioned within hours, saving days or even weeks compared with conventional motion control systems.

Offering a rich development environment for motion-oriented control and automation applications which has evolved over almost 15 years, the language provides a wealth of 'canned' software, in the form of keywords for common tasks such as flying shears, splines, axis synchronisation, software cams and gearboxes.

MintDrive II now operates from three-phase as well as single-phase supplies.

This has allowed Baldor to increase power ratings dramatically, from the previous limit of 6 to 19kW - allowing machine builders for heavy industry sectors such as web based processes and steel making to adopt intelligent drive technology.

Integrated intelligent drives give automation designers the means of achieving major gains.

Space and cost savings are possible because they eliminate the two-box drive-plus-controller approach to motion system building, with all the associated costs stemming from the greater real estate required, and the labour and parts needed to interconnect and install.

If the intelligent drive is used as part of a multi-axis system, the fieldbus interfacing allows distribution of motor control nodes around a machine.

Axes can operate as slaves under the control of a master PC or operator interface, or autonomously, communicating with other nodes over the network on a 'peer to peer' basis.

The latter approach provides very significant benefits in terms of machine modularity and reconfigurability.

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