The path from central to decentralized offers many simplifications and also a compact and economic structure.  Instead of being centrally located in the control cabinet, converters are located close to the motor or are mounted directly on it.  The size of control cabinets is thus significantly reduced and in many cases can even be done away with entirely, which saves space and money. The extent of work for the wiring is also much less with decentralized solutions, because it is no longer necessary to guide individual motor and encoder cables through the entire machine for every drive. One cable often suffices for all drives, which reduces the extent of work during laying as well as the space required and material costs, in particular with widely-branched systems with several driven axes. The increasing modularization is a trend that is also making decentralized drive technology attractive. 

Baumüller has used decentralized and central drives in modular machine concepts for years: The use of decentralized drives allows for a more economical structure, depending on the application, and also optimizes the installation surface of the machine due to the more compact design. The technology is used in a wide variety of applications. Baumüller offers decentralized concepts not only for industrial applications, but also in the field of mobile drives.

Solutions for the Industrial Sector

The decentralized drive b maXX 2500 with a voltage supply of up to 780 V DC is particularly suitable for demanding, dynamic positioning tasks, such as filling systems with many individual drives. In the b maXX 2500, Baumüller combines the technology of the converter series b maXX 3300 with Baumüller servomotors. Thanks to a variety of supported, Ethernet-based fieldbus systems and flexibility in terms of its installation location, the b maXX 2500 offers mechanical engineers with a high degree of design freedom and allows for the realization of optimally adapted machine solutions. The b maXX 2500 will also soon be available as a version with a 60 V voltage supply for the motor size 28. In combination with the feed-in unit b maXX 5030, Baumüller offers the possibility of a cost-optimized safety function STO (Safe Torque Off). The b maXX 2500 also has integrated safety. The b maXX softdrivePLC enables control programming according to IEC 61131 very simply decentralized in the controller, thus completing the properties of the high-performance controller in the b maXX 2500.

The DSDI small servomotor is also exhibited as another product. The intelligent drive with a nominal power of up to 400 W is used in standard applications in the low power range, for example in variable speed drives. It is available in the sizes 28 and 36 and is characterized by a sturdy design. The DSDI can be mounted directly on the system, thereby allowing a modular machine design. The voltage supply of the DSDI is 24 or 48 V DC. CANopen is installed by default. A fieldbus module EtherCAT or ProfiNet is optionally available. With its very short type of construction, the drive also has an excellent mass/inertia ratio.

Another highlight of the decentralized drive technology is the DSMI disc motor drive with integrated servo-controller. The high-torque servo drive was designed for all users whose machines place high demands on smooth running behavior and overload capability. With its extremely short type of construction, the drive can be optimally integrated into the machine’s design. The DSDM’s high overload capability makes high load changes possible. In addition, good acceleration characteristics increase machine output and thus improve the system efficiency.

Hybrid and electric drives for mobile applications

The drive concept powerMELA®, which Baumüller developed in cooperation with Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH specifically for mobile applications, meets all the requirements of e-mobility with its high power density, its compact and robust design and its ability to recuperate. It consists of a combination of a permanent magnet, synchronous reluctance motor with deep buried magnets and an integrated four-quadrant converter. The compactness is due to the integration of the converter on the one hand and the compact design of the electric motor on the other. The drive has an extremely high power density thanks to its innovative cooling concept. The drive system thus requires minimum installation space and only weighs around 300 kg with the motor, converter and transmission in its highest performance level. The power density is thus twice as large than for motors with standard water cooling. The drive is particularly heavy duty with a degree of protection of up to IP6k9k and a permissible temperature range from -40°C to +85°C. In addition, the motor concept is characterized by a large speed control range due to the very good field weakening.

The motor is available in the performance classes of 40 kW to 140 kW nominal power. The 40 kW version is available with a separate converter in order to reduce the installation space of the motor. Due to the external electronics, it is also possible to control the motor from a central point, such as the towing vehicle.  In addition to the direct vehicle use, the powerMELA® is also ideal for other applications, such as for trailers. A choice can be made between internal and external electronics with the higher performance classes. The drive can be used as a motor or generator. Due to the extensive decoupling of the operating states, an interim storage of excess energy is possible so that the energy efficiency is increased and the flexibility in the design of innovative drive concepts also increases.

Baumüller has a weight-optimized solution for mobile drives with the motor generation DSA 200. The recuperative external rotor motors offer another application area with a nominal power of up to 2 kW. The future-proof drive solution is suitable for two-wheelers, such as mopeds, motorcycles and cargo bikes, as well as for the healthcare sector as an intelligent drive solution, such as for wheelchairs or patient transport. Other application areas, for example, lie in conveying and ventilation technology. The DSA 200 is characterized by high continuous output and smooth running, which results in very low noise generation. In addition, the motor is constructed to the IP65 protection standard and can thus withstand harsh environmental conditions. In addition, the customer benefits from a tremendous amount of flexibility with the drive integration, since the housing can be customized. Together with the mobile b maXX controller, Baumüller offers a highly dynamic complete solution. Baumüller will expand the DSA motor series with the size 150 by maximum speeds of rotation of up to 10,000 rpm and by another power range of up to 19 kW nominal power. The DSA 150 is thus the ideal drive for mobile vehicles and work machines.

The powerMELA® drive concept with summation or distribution transmissions as well as the DSDI and DSMI motors and the new DSA 150 will be available for viewing at the Baumüller trade fair stand in hall 1, stand 560 at SPS IPC Drives 2017.