Clean area automation

Baldor has launched a family of frequency inverter drives for AC motors.

They offer a simple user interface that provides out-of-the-box solutions for a large proportion of variable-speed motor control applications.

They are also available with a range of environmental protection, from a standard industrial housing to a dust- and splash-proof version (IP55 or NEMA 12), and even a full washdown duty (IP66 or NEMA 4X) variant. The latter version is unusual in this smaller power sector of the market.

The VS1MX family is expected to help machine builders to reduce costs substantially in automation for common applications such as fan and pump control, as well as in clean area processing zones in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The drive range includes both single- and three-phase versions, for motor control power requirements from 0.3 to 7.5 kW. A Modbus RTU communications port is provided as standard.

The drives have been designed to be as simple as possible to apply. Every version can be supplied with an integral EMC filter. Simple front-panel mounted user interfaces allow any of them to be made operational in minutes.

Commands include motor voltage/current/frequency/speed, maximum/minimum speed, preset speed and acceleration/deceleration ramp. Configuration programs can also be stored on a simple external ‘memory stick’ type device and reloaded as required.

A remote keypad may also be fitted to simplify the layout and construction of automation.

Despite the focus on economy, Baldor’s VS1MX drives offer an advanced new-generation V/Hz control algorithm that provides much tighter regulation of speed and improves torque at low speeds.

Eight choices of drives are available for single-phase applications, spanning motor output ratings from 0.37 to 2.2 kW plus a further 13 choices of three-phase versions for motor outputs from 0.37 to 7.5 kW.

All the drives also incorporate built-in analog and digital I/O and a NOC relay output, providing facilities to create custom remote control panels and to integrate the drive into a process.

The company also has available a range of compatible AC motors that offer efficiencies greater than the European high efficiency EFF-1 rating, in both metric and NEMA frames.