Motion control - everything from a single source

According to ABB, the motion control product range extends to multi-axis motion controllers, high-performance servo drives, rotary servo motors and linear motors - all of which will interface seamlessly to provide a complete motion control system. Using these proven technologies, manufacturers can reduce energy consumption, increase equipment uptime, eliminate wasteful maintenance and increase productivity. ABB motion control covers six key areas, as detailed below.

Multi-axis motion control

ABB's multi-axis motion control products meet the demands of rapidly developing automation lines, providing increased productivity, reliability and flexibility. NextMove is ABB's Mint-programmable motion controller and incorporates real-time Ethernet Powerlink for dozens of axes of control with vastly reduced cabling. There are four variations: panel-mount motion controller, Ethernet machine controller, PC-based motion controller and rack-based motion controller. For applications with little space, the NextMove ES is a rack-mount controller offering a high axis density.

AC servo drives

Servo drives for analogue motion control comprise the analogue Microflex and the analogue EuroFlex. Both controllers are compatible with brushless AC servo motors and rotary and linear motors. The analogue rack-mounted Eurocard MicroFlex units are rated at 1.5, 3, 6 and 9A, 105 to 250V AC, while the Analog EuroFlex is rated at 60V DC, 5A continuous, 15A peak.

For digital motion control, ABB now offers the MicroFlex e100 and the MotiFlex e100. The MicroFlex e100 compact servo drives are suitable for advanced control of rotary and linear motors, and are rated at 1.5, 3, 6 and 9A, 105-250V AC. These feature an integrated, real-time Ethernet interface, CANopen and encoder input, as well as versatile integrated I/O. Meanwhile, The MotiFlex e100 advanced servo drives are available as three-phase units for operating at 180-560V AC up to 65A. These feature integrated, real-time Ethernet, CANopen and a universal encoder input, along with standard TCP/IP operation.

Complementing the above are the ABB ACSM1 high-performance machinery drives that offer higher speed, torque and motion control functions for demanding machines. The drives control induction, synchronous and asynchronous servo and high-torque motors with various feedback devices.

Rotary servo motors

To complement the servo drives, ABB has a range of rotary servo motors, comprising the BSM series, 9C (8C) series, MS series and high dynamic performance (HDP) AC induction servomotors.

The ABB 9C series servo motors are suitable for operation with the ABB high-performance machinery drives. According to the company, the HDP range is characterised by higher torque density than is available from ABB's main competitors. For a given requested power, therefore, ABB says it is always possible to use a smaller drive because of the lower rated current.

Linear motors

Linear motors provide speed and positioning performance through direct-coupled motion and eliminate mechanical transmission devices. ABB says linear motors offer substantial improvements over applications using ball screws and timing belts, with the rugged mechanical design providing accurate motion and precision positioning for hundreds of millions of cycles.

Software tools

The high-level Mint programming language helps machine builders to develop motion control programs for custom applications very quickly. Mint was originated by Baldor UK and has become extremely popular, with over 50,000 installations worldwide. Mint provides an advanced programming environment, simplifying motion control through high-level commands for sophisticated applications. For profiling applications, MintNC offers a complete machine control front-end. Standard CAD file formats (including HPGL, DXF and G-code) can be imported and motion generated from the MintNC front-end. MintNC is highly suitable for 2.5D applications such as laser cutting, water jet cutting, tangential knife cutting and glue laying.

Accessories

ABB's range of man-machine interfaces extends from simple 'dumb' operator panels to programmable, colour, TFT, touch-screen panels; all are fully supported by the Mint programming language. The programmable panels offer functions such as graphical displays, conversion of values to meaningful units, programmable alarms and password protection.

The future

ABB believes that the exciting technologies it has gained through its acquisition of Baldor will enable it to deliver exceptional products and services to customers anywhere in the world. It is planning to build on the excellent reputation these motion control products already have in the marketplace, and continue to focus on innovation, quality and services, delivering products, systems and services that support its customers' needs, both now and in the future.

For more information about any of the products mentioned above, go to new.abb.com/drives/motion.