medium, and high performance based on the maximum required power output. Different types of drives support various system needs. Servo drives and motors are well suited when fast acceleration, deceleration, and precise positioning are needed in applications like robotics. Soft starters are suited for continuous operations like conveyors that benefit from smooth startup and deceleration. VFDs are used in a wide range of industrial machines. Some VFD product families are optimized for operations like pumping, ventilating, compressing, moving, or processing. Siemens SINAMICS G120 line of universal drives are available with power ratings from 0.55 to 250 kW (0.75 to 400 hp) for use in general industrial applications in automotive, textile, and packaging operations. Model 6SL32203YE340UF0 uses 3-phase power with an operating voltage range of 380 to 480 Vac +10 % / -20 %. It’s specified for 400 V operation with motors rated from 22 to 30 kW in Europe and 480 V in North America for motors rated from 30 to 40 hp (Figure 3). VFDs are not the only key to efficient PDS design. The article “What support products does it take to maximize the impact of using VFDs and VSDs? - Part 1” reviews some of the required support components.
maximize the overall efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of Industry 4.0 factories. Cloud connectivity is facilitated using protocols like (Figure 4): ■ uOPC PubSub Bridge consolidates multiple operational technology (OT) data streams. ■ MOTT BRoker receives messages and forwards them to users based on the message subject.
There’s more to Level 1 than drives and motors. Field bus
master units (FMUs) can facilitate communication and simplify the integration of drives and other devices. FMUs are available for various protocols, including PROFINET, PROFIBUS, DeviceNet, CANopen, etc. The use of FMUs
Figure 3: This VFD can be used with motors rated from 22 to 30 kW, depending on the operating voltage. (Image source: DigiKey)
can enable manufacturer- independent connectivity.
Model AFP7NPFNM from Panasonic is a PROFINET FMU. It comes with integrated function libraries for the programming software, significantly reducing the time needed to develop application-specific solutions.
Communication and system optimization While motors and drives are on the factory floor in Level 1, or the field level, they are not at the lowest level of the Industry 4.0 communication hierarchy. That position falls to functions like sensors and actuators on Level 0. In addition, there are multiple levels above the field level. Timely and efficient communication up and down the communication hierarchy up to the cloud is necessary to
Level 0 for sensors, actuators, and safety
Pushing the PDS energy savings gains from VFDs higher requires pushing connectivity lower to Level 0. Integrating sensors,
we get technical
51
Powered by FlippingBook