Mr. Maier, what basic requirements does the market place on the motor feedback interface today?

Maier: In view of the increasing time and cost pressures and the ever decreasing availability of qualified personnel, solutions that reduce material and labor costs in equal measure are naturally of great interest. With its significantly simplified cabling, the single-cable encoder takes both into account and thus generates considerable savings potential.

Other requirements include the ability to implement drive technology safety functions up to PLe, the simple and elegant transmission of the electronic type plate or, even better, the motor logbook, which provides information on the configuration and status of the hardware. Last but not least, a digital interface helps enormously in view of the ever-increasing electromagnetic 'pollution' in the systems.

Recently, a consortium around three well-known encoder manufacturers has positioned itself to establish an alternative solution to Hiperface DSL and BiSS line with 'SCS open link'. Will Lenze support this interface - especially with regard to the new i950 servo inverter?

Maier: Technically, Lenze is basically very easily able to implement any interface established on the market thanks to its own open platform structure and the use of an FPGA to feed back the motor feedback signal. However, as there is a lot of movement on the market at the moment due to the opening up of the Hiperface DSL and the founding of the BISS Association e.V., we are currently keeping a low profile as to which standard we will initially support, particularly for the i950. In technical terms, SCS open link is certainly on a par with the Hiperface DSL and BISS systems already established on the market.

In addition to the technical features, the topic of cost reduction is currently at the top of Lenze's agenda when it comes to the motor feedback interface. What exactly is this about?

Maier: It's basically about achieving the best possible system performance at the lowest possible price. The standardized, digital interface was a key issue here. However, there are also new concepts for the actual measurement, which we are currently working on with several well-known engine feedback system manufacturers. The specific aim is to create an absolute encoder below the cost of a resolver. I don't want to make an exact prediction as to when these systems will be available. However, we are well on the way and our new servo inverter is the target platform.

The details of the new i950 servo inverter

What exactly is so special about the i950, which you are presenting to the public for the first time at SPS IPC Drives 2017?

Maier: Its strength lies in the fact that we use the same platform elements as for our controllers. This includes the runtime system with Codesys, the use of our Motion Toolbox 'Fast' and the same development environment via our PLC Designer. This means that the customer can distribute their functions between the controller and servo axis as required without having to worry about system breaks.

The controller can be used simply as a CiA402 actuator, as a parameterizable motion controller or as a freely programmable logic/motion system. The transition is seamless for the customer - they can use the integrated motion, change it, but also "close" it again so that their modified version remains purely parameterizable.

What performance classes is Lenze launching at the trade fair and what is the roadmap for the future?

Maier: The controller is initially available up to 75 kW, with Profinet and Ethercat as fieldbus and STO as the first safety function. At the Hannover Messe 2018, we will expand the device series up to 110 kW, introduce the complete suite of safety technology and add further motion modules.