Drive controllers range extended

COMBIVERT F6 drive controllers from KEB Automation are described as extremely compact, energy efficient and flexible for a wide variety of control applications in automated, safety-oriented machines. The drives provide optimal motor control in real time, as well as integrated safety functionality. Typical applications include materials handling, textiles, plastics, processing technology, machine tools, food and beverage processing and packaging, robotics, woodworking, and renewable energy systems (eg, wind turbines).

Extended power ranges

Mark Checkley, sales & marketing manager at KEB (UK), comments: “The extended power ranges will enable our UK customers to implement even more new machine concepts that require extended power, communication and integrated safety. In addition to the control of widely supported motor types, such as synchronous, asynchronous, permanent magnet, synchronous reluctance, linear, high-torque motors and high speed motors, the COMBIVERT F6 offers additional functions, such as automatic anti-cogging and optimised torque pre-control for linear and non-linear kinematics. Motor operation with encoder feedback or encoderless ASCL/SCL for precise speed control is also possible.”

The COMBIVERT F6 range of drive controllers are 100% in-house designed and built by KEB Automation. The drives can be customised with a variety of design options to suit the specific application. Safety functionality can be selected in modules to suit the requirements of the machine. Ethernet-based bus systems can be switched via software, thus enabling flexible connection to higher-level control systems via EtherCAT, Profinet, Powerlink, Ethernet I/P or CAN.

Encoderless safety

The safe operation of machines often requires safety functions for monitoring speeds, directions of rotation or axis positioning. The PRO version of COMBIVERT F6 enables the implementation of encoderless safety, states KEB Automation. “This means that safe solutions can be implemented, for example, in applications where no safe speed encoder can be installed on the motor. In addition to more individual machine concepts, encoderless safety functions also enable cost-effective, simple motion monitoring, as well as reduced effort, in terms of maintenance and servicing. Integration of the safety fieldbus system Safety-over-EtherCAT (FSoE) plays a central role in machine designs. Conventional safety wiring is no longer required.”

Flexible cooling

The COMBIVERT F6 has a choice of four cooling options. These include an air-cooled built-in version (IP20) with an exchangeable fan; an air-cooled push-through version (rear side IP54) that allows waste heat to be removed from the control cabinet; a liquid-cooled built-in version with braking resistors and stainless steel piping; and a liquid-cooled push-through version with cooling liquid management (rear side IP54).

A range of accessories is available for the COMBIVERT F6, including mains EMC filters, mains choke, ouptut chokes and filters, combi-filters (EMC/output choke), sine-wave filters, harmonic filters, sine-wave EMC filters, and high-performance ferrite cores.

KEB Automation also provides its COMBIVIS studio 6 software for start-up, administration and analysis. “This includes start-up wizards for quick and easy product configuration, direct access to device documentation, as well as enabling online drive parameter list comparisons and the set-up of key safety indicators and functions,” the company adds. “With a foundation built on libraries, devices and template databases, COMBIVIS studio 6 allows rapid, simple solutions to be generated for a wide range of applications.”