Today's Automation News Headlines from Automation.com

January 30, 2012 - ABB announces MicroFlex e150 Ethernet servo drive family for the fast-growing Ethernet-based machine automation market. The drives are compatible with numerous industrial Ethernet protocols, and offer a universal encoder interfacing capability, local motion control programming, and integrated functional safety capability. This offers a flexible platform for realising new machinery designs and is expected to appeal to OEM machine builders.

MicroFlex e150 Ethernet servo drive family is available with single-phase options offering output power up to 9 A.

The MicroFlex e150 drives provide real-time operation with EtherCAT, and compatibility with EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP and TCP/IP protocols that provide a 'universal' drive platform that can be employed in many different ways to suit different customers and applications - from networked systems hosted by PLCs or other devices, to motion control systems with distributed intelligence.

The drives are intelligent and feature an embedded programming capability that is compatible with ABB's motion control language Mint. This feature allows the drives to be used standalone for single-axis or distributed intelligence motion control applications, from performing simple moves to complex motion tasks such as flying shears or cam motion profiles. Built-in I/O - including fast latch inputs for registration applications - comes as standard to support such application configurations.

As standard, the drives also offer a flexible 'universal' encoder interfacing capability that provides versatility of use. The drives may be connected to dual encoders - one incremental encoder, and one serial base encoder such as EnDat 2.2, SSI or BiSS. This allows dual feedback configurations - with separate velocity and position feedback - to be used to eliminate mechanical inaccuracies in precision applications such as CNC machinery. It also simplifies integration into configurations where an axis is following a master axis or centralised 'line shaft' such as packaging machines. 

One further major feature of ABB's new drives is support for the Safe Torque Off or STO functional safety, in accordance with IEC 61800-5-2, and designed to meet SIL 3 and performance level e (PLe) standards. This helps machine builders to incorporate high-integrity safety into machinery designs by disabling the drive's output so that it cannot generate torque in the motor.

The drives are ideal for a wide range of machine automation applications such as metal cutting machinery (plasma/waterjet), grinding or glue laying, as well as a variety of common packaging automation such as form/fill/seal. Two high speed registration inputs and multi-tasking programmability - also mean that the drives are ideal for speed-intensive applications such as labelling.

ABB can also supply the drives with the AC500 PLC, a scalable PLC platform for automation applications. This PLC can communicate using an extensive range of standard fieldbuses including Ethernet based protocols such as EtherCAT.

"Machinery OEMs need versatile products, and these new drives have versatility in abundance - without needing to add hardware or choose configuration options," says David Greensmith of ABB. "The multi-protocol Ethernet capability and local intelligence mean that the applications potential is truly broad. And the processing performance is spectacular too - offering some 20 times the speed of one of our popular existing generations of smart drives - making it ideal for performance intensive applications such as high-speed labelling."

About ABB
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. ABB group operates in around 100 countries and employs about 130,000 people.