The perfect complement to the b maXX 4400 series of servo controllers March 21, 2007 - Nuremberg. For 20 years Baumüller has been pursuing a policy of energy efficiency in developing controllers which do not convert energy into heat when motor brakes are applied. That is why Baumüller insists on using regenerative converters: the active front-end devices in the b maXX 4100 series, which are suitable for universal use, make energy regeneration possible in any system. The b maXX 4100 rectifier and regenerative feedback units are the perfect complement to the b maXX 4400 range.
The ability to feed energy back into the system creates huge potential for savings at high power ratings in particular. b maXX 4100 controllers can be used for power ratings between 35 kW and 180 kW. The benefits of a regenerative system can be felt in particular on machines running in reversing duty, where sudden acceleration followed by deceleration is typical. The initial consequence of the dynamic response needed for such applications is an increased energy requirement. When the brakes are applied, the b maXX 4100 units feed the energy generated back into the system so that all the controllers have to do is compensate the prevailing energy losses, which are relatively insignificant.
The b maXX 4100 converters supply power to one or a number of power modules and feed brake energy back into the system. It makes sense to use b maXX 4100 regenerative converters on large machine tools or grinding machines, for example. The mode in which such machines operate requires dynamic motion control on the part of the drive technology: repeated acceleration and braking (often associated with tool changes on lathes, for example) brings the cost savings that can be achieved with regenerative converters into sharp focus. b maXX 4100 converters feature modules for monitoring the charging circuit and main contactors as well as for synchronization with the frequency of the supply system.
Current controlled precharging on the b maXX 4100 boasts a number of advantages over resistive charging: when a unit powers up, for example, the charging time is monitored and faults are detected and reported. This means that troubleshooting can be performed even before the machine starts up, thus preventing damage to the machine or drive. The controlled charging current means that the converter is protected against short-circuits. Even enabling the main contactor will not generate an uncontrolled current rush. External charging resistors are not necessary for mounting in a control cabinet and adaptation to the DC-link capacitance is not required.
Furthermore, controlled precharging prevents the dreaded current peaks during power-up which can be caused by the high DC-link capacitance.
