Archive for March, 2014

Mar
27

Two does go into One! New LÜTZE Cables

New LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® cable is compatible with the digital interface HIPERFACE-DSL® by SICK®

New Lutze Superflex CableServo motor technology continues to develop further, with the aim of making the technology more user friendly. A new trend for servo motors is integration of the encoder feedback in the transfer cable. The main advantage here is the connection technology, as the connection can be established with just one cable and one connector per motor. With the separate connecting lead becoming superfluous for data transfer, not only is material saved, but a source of error is also eliminated and the installation effort is decreased. LÜTZE added a new innovation to its range and now offers a special servo cable which is compatible with the digital interface HIPERFACE-DSL® from SICK®. This cable is specially designed as a hybrid servo cable, and consists of three elements: a power supply, a separately shielded motor brake pair and a separately shielded data pair for digital data transfer.

The new LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® PLUS M© PUR HYBRID

SERVO 0.6/1 kV has been designed for consistently moving operation in C-tracks. In order to guarantee trouble-free functional integrity of the motor in moving applications, the elements in the cable must remain in their position during movement. Furthermore, electrical interferences between the power supply and ­the data pair must be ruled out through respective shielding. LÜTZE SUPERFLEX® PLUS M© PUR HYBRID SERVO 0.6/1 kV provides all these characteristics, and therefore represents a reliable solution for the connection of all servomotors with HIPERFACE DSL® technology. LÜTZE also provides this new cable fully assembled.

 

Mar
18

Mitsubishi variable speed drive integration delivers a 27% reduction in energy costs for Stephenson College

Background

Stephenson College offers a wide range of full and part time, further and higher education courses and apprenticeships ranging from child care to motor vehicle maintenance from their Coalville and Nottingham sites.

Over the period 2010/11 – 2012/13 overall UK funding for education reduced by 17.2% causing each and every school, college or university to be more commercial and cost conscious to survive and thrive in what is now a very competitive marketplace. To compound the plight of those effected, the UK’s average annual non-home energy costs increased by 26% over the same 3 year period.

Stephenson College’s Coalville campus is their largest. The main building on that campus was built in 2005 and spread over two floors with an additional extension being added in 2007.

Challenge

Prompted by a real need to counter the spiralling cost of energy and the fiscal pressure it puts onto the college they decided to invite industrial automation specialists to tender innovative solutions with the end goal of reducing their energy consumption.

Following a meeting between one of Mitsubishi’s drives specialists and the Onsite Facilities Manager at the college, CDL were approached to recommend and work alongside a reputable System Integrator that would be able to perform an onsite assessment and offer their recommendations for the integration of a modern industrial automation solution that would best achieve their objective.

digiconSolution

As we work closely with a number of machine builders across the midlands we welcomed the opportunity to introduce and recommend Digicon Solutions who design and manufacture bespoke control systems to meet individual requirements from their Hinckley, Leicestershire head office.

In response to the site assessment and research, our engineers were able to recommend the integration of the very latest energy efficient Mitsubishi A746 (IP54) variable speed drives into the buildings’ air handling system where old industrial automation technology was being used. The expectation that they would generate a significant reduction in the air handling system energy usage by benefitting from the drives built in ‘Optimum Excitation Control’ feature which in essence allows the user to decrease the speed of the motors in the system effectively whilst maintaining the required airflow throughout.

Click to download the Stephenson College CDL Case Study PDFThe theory behind the solution applies the rules of cubed law which states that a 10% reduction in motor speed can show a 27% reduction in energy consumption.

Results so far

Digicon Solutions carried out the installation and commissioning of the Mitsubishi A746 Variable Speed Drives ensuring that the recommendations and calculations that were proffered from the start were implemented and performed exactly as they intended enabling us to deliver the energy savings promised.

Please click on the document image on the right to download the Stephenson College CDL Case Study PDF.

Authorised Distributor of...