Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — April 2016

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Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals

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total automation solutions

Yaskawa’s premium inverter, offering su-

perior reliability, environmental benefits

and energy savings. Additional features

such as auto-tuning to automatically

adjust motor settings to achieve highest

machine performance, advanced energy-

saving control technology and special

features for high spindle speed, accurate

positioning, and crane and hoist control

are available – and via the L1000 and

T1000 spinoff series, the A1000 inverter

drive has been customised for lift and

textile applications.

The company’s special purpose

Yaskawa AC variable speed/frequency

drive is the world’s first series produced

matrix converter and features direct

conversion of the ac input voltage to ac

output, without the need for a dc-bus

and capacitor banks. This ensures a long

service life and offers fully regenerative,

energy efficient four-quadrant operation

without the need for braking options or

similar devices.

For servo applications, the company

can now offer its Sigma-7 series of next-

generation servo systems, which are

available in the 50 W to 15 kW power

range and operate at speed loop band-

width of 3.1 kHz. These deliver the

highest performance levels due their

unmatched frequency response, reduced

setting times and more precise control.

In addition, they feature faster setup,

simpler tuning and vibration suppression.

For quick and efficient setup, these

modern ‘plug and play’ servo amplifiers

require no parameter settings and gain

adjustments to achieve high-precision

positioning. When an existing solution

needs to be upgraded, the whole Sigma-7

system can easily be re-configured for a

new task. Out of the box servo drive solu-

tions for common tasks – including gan-

try, pick & place and beam applications

– have been developed for Yaskawa’s

servo amplifier and servomotor combinations.

On the motor side, the company has a complete

range of induction, permanent magnet synchronous and

servomotors optimised to match the application and the

chosen drive strategy. Motors are available in the power

range from 0.1 to 373 kW in various enclosure styles,

from open drip-proof to explosion proof. Brushless ac

servo motors with maximum speeds of up to 4 500 rpm

and torques to 7.0 Nm are on offer,

while two different types of machine

tool specific motors – single winding

and dual winding – complement the

company’s spindle range.

Of particular note are

the company’s

MYSP 160 and

MYSP 225 gear-

less lift motors

for lifting loads of

between 400 and

2 500 kg for trac-

tion elevator appli-

cations. These are

permanent magnet

motors available with

traction sheaves designed for elevator

ropes of 6.0 mm or 8.0 mm. With pulse-

generator encoders and electromagnetic

brakes, these motors are designed to

be driven by the L1000A inverter drive,

the special lifting solution based on the

A1000 drive. Designed for three million

full load starts, the cooling fans and

capacitors in these units have been care-

fully selected for a maintenance-free lift

life of at least 10 years.

With an initial focus on marketing,

Yaskawa DMC is investing in permanent

technical and sales personnel as well as

offices, training and demonstration facili-

ties. Yaskawa Europe Drives & Motion

Division’s South Africa-based partners

– including Hudaco Group company,

Varispeed, and Anytech, a subsidiary

of the Directech Group, a longstanding

VIPA representative in South Africa – will

For servo applications, Yaskawa now offers its Sigma-7

series of next-generation servo systems, which are

available in the 50 W to 15 kW power range and

operate at a speed loop bandwidth of 3.1 kHz.

be retained as channel partners, fully

serviced and supported from the new

Yaskawa DMC division in Johannesburg.

Yaskawa Southern Africa will also be

equipping its local branch network in Port

Elizabeth, Cape Town and Durban with

the infrastructure necessary to stock and

support the extended range.

“And if someone wants us to build a

whole machine, we are willing to do that

too. We have always done this on the

robot side, but now we can offer much

more than robots. We can offer turnkey

automation solutions that are 100%

customised to a manufacturer’s exact

needs,” Rosenberg concludes.