New Kinetix 5500 servo drive, Kinetix VP low-inertia servo motor, and single-cable technology improve motion application efficiency without sacrificing performance
MILWAUKEE, Dec. 6, 2012 — Rockwell Automation has introduced the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drive, Kinetix VP low-inertia (VPL) servo motor, and single-cable technology as an integrated motion solution on EtherNet/IP that is more compact, easier to use and simplifies system wiring.
“Machine and equipment builders are challenged with making smaller, more complex equipment in a shorter design cycle and at a lower price point,” said Mike Schweiner, Kinetix product manager, Rockwell Automation. “Our new single-cable Kinetix motion solution gives machine builders a proven solution for both servo and induction motor control on a single development platform that will result in less design time and cabinet space with improved power density and efficiency.”
The Kinetix 5500 servo drive joins the Kinetix 350 and Kinetix 6500 drives to provide users with more options to match motion control needs. Integrated motion control on EtherNet/IP eliminates the need for a dedicated motion network, reducing cabling by up to 60 percent and removing the need to create gateways to get information to or from secluded networks. Additionally, the Kinetix VPL motors new winding technology and DSL encoder, connected with the smart-cable technology, allows power transmission and feedback communication to and from the Kinetix 5500 drive to take place on a single cable. This further simplifies application design and limits points-of-failure for improved reliability and uncomplicated maintenance.
Ideal for packaging, material handling or converting systems with more than six axes, the Kinetix 5500 and Kinetix VP drive-motor system does not require discrete power rail or additional accessories, so machines can be scaled up as needed. Optimally matched motor and drive ratings uses half the energy of comparable solutions, while still providing 125 μsec loop closure for maximum performance.
The Kinetix 5500 drive is the first Kinetix drive designed with an external common AC/DC bus connection system. It reduces hardware requirements and allows for seamless scalability, using a single platform for either single-axis or multiaxis systems. The Kinetix 5500 drive also has the ability to control both servo and induction motors, provide best–in-class power density that reduces the size of the drive and cabinet space required by up to 50 percent, and simplify machine maintenance by minimizing the need to fuse or use contactors. Additionally, the system can be optimized to balance power use and lower energy needs because of its unique ability to share power across multiple drives. The Kinetix VPL servo motor uses the same proven magnetic core as the Allen-Bradley MP-Series servo motors.
The Kinetix 5500 drive is supported by the recently released Rockwell Software Studio 5000 integrated engineering environment and can be used with the Integrated Motion Encoder on EtherNet/IP to provide a feedback-only axis solution for Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 5570 and CompactLogix 5370 programmable automation controllers. A feedback-only axis allows the motion application to synchronize efforts with other portions of a machine or line for more efficient production.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Rockwell Automation employs over 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.
For more information:
- Kinetix 5500 servo drives: http://ab.rockwellautomation.com/Motion-Control/Kinetix-5500-Servo-Drive
- New Kinetix 5500 servo drive, Kinetix VPL servo motor and single-cable technology photo: http://flic.kr/p/dxw4xo
- Kinetix 5500 servo drive and Kinetix VPL motor presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/RockwellAutomation/single-cable-motion-solution-kinetix-5500-servo-drive-and-vp-low-inertia-motor
Media contacts:
Tiffany Bockhop
Rockwell Automation
262.512.2291
tbockhop@ra.rockwell.com
Sarah Kalhorn
Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc.
612.455.1791
skalhorn@padillaspeer.com
Allen-Bradley, CompactLogix, ControlLogix, Kinetix, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE., MP-Series, Rockwell Software and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.
EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.
Published December 5, 2012