AC Drive incorporates vector control.

Rockwell Automation Jan 07, 2003

Press Release Summary:

PowerFlex 700, equipped with Force Technology for field-oriented control, offers motor speed regulation of 0.001%, as well as torque regulation. Users are able to hold full torque at zero speed. Applications include high-speed drawing of copper tubing. Drive eliminates wall thickness variations, while maintaining max throughput. Available in global ratings from 0.5-150 hp and with voltage ratings from 240-600 V, drive with Zero Stacking allows device to be mounted side-by-side.

Original Press Release:

Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700 AC Drive with Vector Control Helps Users Control Some of the Industry's Most Demanding Applications

Vector control capability adds high-performance speed and torque regulation in an easy-to-use AC drive roughly 50 percent more compact in size than competitive offerings

MEQUON, Wisc., Jan. 3, 2003 - To meet the tight torque and speed regulation requirements of some of industrial automation's most challenging motor control applications, Complete Automation leader Rockwell Automation announces its new Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700 AC drive with Vector Control.

Equipped with patented Allen-Bradley Force Technology for field-oriented control, the new PowerFlex 700 with Vector Control boasts motor speed regulation of 0.001 percent over a wide operating speed range while also offering industry leading torque regulation. This offers users precise speed control with the ability to hold full torque at zero speed. For example, the drive can be used in processes requiring very tight speed control, such as drawing copper tubing at high speeds, in which consistency of speed maintains ideal product size. The vector control drive helps eliminate wall thickness variations, while maintaining maximum throughput. Other examples of applications requiring tight speed control include extruders, mixers, centrifuges, bottling lines and fillers, as well as applications requiring tight torque regulation, like winders, lifts, hoists, palletizers and web handling.

Space-saving design. Available in global ratings from 0.37 kW (0.5 hp) to 110 kW (150 hp) and voltage ratings from 240 to 600 volts, the new drive is roughly 50 percent more compact than competitive offerings. The PowerFlex 700 with Vector Control further increases panel space savings with Zero Stacking, a feature that allows drives to be mounted side-by-side. An integral electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) filter reduces the drive's footprint when complying with stringent European standards (CE) while integral common mode cores on the output further reduce noise. A built-in brake eliminates the need for external choppers and dynamic braking modules. Application flexibility. For added flexibility, Rockwell Automation engineers added an additional analog output and two high-speed analog inputs. For example, users can take advantage of one output for a meter to monitor speed and the other could be used to provide process information to another drive. The two high-speed analog inputs are ideal for users seeking very fast torque and speed response. In particular, these high-speed inputs are required for use with motion controllers where quick response is critical. Ease of maintenance. The PowerFlex 700 with Vector Control features a control cassette that houses the main control board and I/O. This cassette, removable from the power structure, is the same for all drive ratings and greatly simplifies training, installation and maintenance for the entire product line.

Like all products within the PowerFlex family of drives, Rockwell Automation engineers designed the PowerFlex 700 AC drive with Vector Control to meet worldwide power ratings and packaging requirements for out-of-the-box performance. The PowerFlex family of AC drives offers significant commonality across multiple platforms, including networks, operator interface, programming and hardware. This commonality is designed to help users feel comfortable with the programming and start-up features available with any PowerFlex AC drive.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is a world-leading provider of industrial automation power, control and information solutions that help customers meet their manufacturing productivity objectives. The company brings together leading brands in industrial automation for Complete Automation solutions, including Allen-Bradley controls and engineered services and Rockwell Software factory management software, Dodge mechanical power transmission products, and Reliance Electric motors and drives. The company also is a leading provider of contact management technologies and applications that help companies more efficiently manage interaction with their own customers. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., USA, the company employs about 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

For more information on the PowerFlex 700 AC drive with Vector Control, please contact the Rockwell Automation Response Center, 10701 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minn., 55438, 800.223.5354, Ext. 1597.

Complete Automation, Dodge, Reliance Electric, Allen-Bradley, and Rockwell Software are registered trademarks of Rockwell Automation. PowerFlex, Force Technology, and Zero Stacking are trademarks of Rockwell Automation.