July 5, 2017 –Mitsubishi Electric Automation announced the introduction of Ethernet-connected versions of its FR-A800 and FR-F800 Series variable frequency drives (VFDs). The FR-A800-E and FR-F800-E VFDs provide Ethernet connectivity as a standard feature, allowing the drives to be connected directly to automation equipment and plant information management systems.
These VFDs are designed for factory automation in the automotive and food processing sectors, as well as wastewater treatment plants. They can be used in process control applications, multiple pump control systems and in networks that require continuous monitoring, such as the measurement of energy consumption.
The FR-A800-E and FR-F800-E inverters can be connected to an MES network and provide the ability to exchange data in either direction. They can act as an interconnected VFD “team,” without referring to a separate controller, by entering PLC programming directly into the drives. They can operate simultaneously within an Ethernet environment and virtually any other automation network, forming a gateway between a plant’s other automation equipment.