Posted to News on 27th Jan 2008, 22:02
VF drives easily integrated in packaging automation
Thanks to a new software toolkit, Schneider Electric's Altivar ATV 31 and ATV 71 variable frequency (VF) drives can now be used as integral system components in ELAU PacDrive automation systems for packaging machinery.
Three-phase variable frequency drives with performance ranges of 0.18-2.2kW (ATV 31) and 0.37-500 kW (ATV 71) can now be integrated into the PacDrive automation system just as easily as servo drives. The Schneider Electric frequency drives communicate with the PacDrive automation controllers either via CANopen or Profibus. While the ATV 71 provides both interfaces, the ATV 31 will require a Schneider Electric Advantys I/O platform for Profibus communication.
The software integration minimises the engineering time required for parametrisation and establishing bus communication; the integration of AC drives into the template-based PacDrive programming environment is enabled by an IEC 61131-3-conforming Function Block. Typical operational modes have already been implemented in the Function Block, which makes parameterisation as simple as setting parameters for speed and acceleration or deceleration.
Furthermore, the implementation also enables AC drives to be embedded in the internal communication structure of a PacDrive automation system. Just as if they were servo drives, the AC drives provide diagnostic information to the controller. With the integration of the parameters into the machine program, if an AC drive is replaced, the new drive does not need to be reparameterised; instead, the controller provides the parameters for the AC drive, and commissioning simply consists of entering the address and the baud rate.
