Whether producing intricately moulded injection-moulded parts, producing furniture configured by the end customer or packing and shipping orders with many different items from grippers: the number of axes that need to be controlled and synchronized is constantly increasing. The resulting higher level of automation inevitably requires more complex control systems. Lenze now has a 'workhorse' in its stable that takes this into account and is designed precisely for these purposes, consisting of three completely newly developed components: the i950 servo inverter, the m850 synchronous motor and the g700 planetary gearbox.

According to Christian Bergner, Head of Product Management Servo Drives & Motors at Lenze, the drive and gearbox are designed for machine tasks with medium dynamics, smooth running and high precision. The standard version of the motor is equipped with robust resolvers. Where high precision is required, multiturn SinCos encoders can be used as an alternative. The g700 servo gearbox is adapted to this motor characteristic and is available in 14 variants - as a one, two or three-stage planetary gearbox in five sizes with transmission intervals from 3.0 to 8.0 to 64.0 to 512.0. The motor is available in a total of nine variants, in three different sizes, each with three different power classes, ranging from 2.0 kW to 9.2 kW. "We estimate that around 80% of machine manufacturers who require servo synchronous motors with medium to high performance will use solutions based on the m850," says Bergner, who sees the solution's main areas of application in positioning tasks, handling and assembly applications, robotics, packaging machines and conveyor drives, among others.

Parameterize, program, control

According to Bergner, the modern ARM dual-core architecture used for the first time in a servo inverter in the i950 and the integrated bus infrastructure result in major advantages, particularly in parallel data processing, which enable more complex and faster control processes. The integrated Ethercat port makes it possible to exchange more than twice as much data in the same time in an axis network than was previously the case. Thanks to the open network architecture based on the Ethercat standard, additional Ethercat devices - such as sensors - can also be integrated into the network. "This means that significantly more axes can now be controlled and synchronized than with the previous models," says Bergner.

However, adapting the different tasks and concepts in industrial automation requires not only sheer computing power, but also a variety of functions that benefit OEMs and users during development, commissioning and operation. The i950 meets the associated increasing demands on the intelligence of control systems with its three different operating modes, among other things:

"With the smart servo axis, we are providing the combined answer to the demands of mechanics, electronics and digitalization," says Christian Bergner from Lenze.

© Lenze

The servo can either be freely programmed or used as an actuator under a CiA402 motion controller. According to Christian Bergner, however, the most common operating mode is likely to be the use of integrated 'Fast' technology applications. These modules provide a wide range of functions that OEMs no longer have to program themselves, but can simply use by setting parameters. The EasyStarter commissioning tool provides an intuitive graphical parameterization interface that makes handling easier.

"This means that even technicians with a lower level of training can carry out commissioning without any problems," emphasizes Bergner. This is Lenze's response to the fact that OEMs often only employ engineers in certain project phases due to the shortage of skilled workers, for example during programming or later during process optimization and machine acceptance.

Based on IEC 61131-3, the Fast modules can also be extended or adapted to specific applications by the OEM itself in Lenze's own PLC Designer programming environment. This programming is saved on an SD card and can also be accessed via the graphical user interface during commissioning. "In EasyStarter, we provide the added functions in the form of an additional parameter list. This means that the simple handling of the graphical user interface is retained even with individually adapted solutions," the Lenze expert explains. On the other hand, free programming - using IEC 61131-3 according to PLCopen - is an option that is open to the OEM with the i950.

OEMs can develop particularly effectively if they can reuse individual modules over and over again - including the software. The i950 implements this approach by being able to process previously developed software from servos and controllers.

Intelligence at the Edge

Forward-looking customer services and new business models in the field of Industry 4.0 require a broad database - right down to the level of sensors and actuators. Lenze is creating the basis for this Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) not only by developing intelligent hardware, but also by providing the appropriate applications, such as its own asset management system.

By taking an inventory of the entire machine, all relevant machine components (assets) with serial number, device identification, installation position photos and functional area are recorded in the asset management software on site. This database is automatically enriched with information such as delivery times or availability, maintenance intervals, the life cycle of the component as well as documentation such as operating instructions and much more. This ultimately creates a digital twin with up-to-date and reliable data. Asset management thus maps the 'health' of machines and systems at all times and, as a single point of truth, can form the starting point for further services, for example for remote services or 'smart' applications such as predictive maintenance.

The i950 provides all relevant data relating to the drive via the integrated Ethernet interface - speed, load current, motor temperature and other information, such as the exact model variants of the drive and gearbox. In addition, it already supports the widespread MQTT protocol, which enables data collection and integration up to the cloud.