Baldor's smart drives offer space and cost-saving solutions for single-axis automation requirements

(30/04/2010)

Baldor's new 'smart' drives that offer space- and cost-saving solutions for single-axis automation requirements, in an Ethernet-compatible form.

The standalone drives are compatible with Baldor's Mint motion programming language. This allows them to be configured to perform basic motion control requirements such as relative and absolute moves, S-ramp profiles, jog and homing movements, registration moves, and reacting to real-time trigger events. The programming facility allows standalone drives to provide solutions for common movement automation tasks such as cutting or feeding to length, indexing moves, simple pick and place motion, and adjusting machinery for new batches.

The new programming capability can also improve the PLC interfacing capabilities of process automation equipment. Every drive manufacturer offers a defined process data exchange interface with PLCs, or a ‘drive profile’ utility. The ability to program these drives means that this interface may be adapted, perhaps to simplify the communications process or to optimise drive behaviour for a specific application.

Related categories:  Industrial   Programmable Logic Controller PLC   Speed drives