Feature

Servo drive offers cabinet space savings and faster commissioning

Machine builders that traditionally have used separate servo drives to meet high axis-count and power requirements for large custom machines can now consolidate to a single platform with the new Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5700 servo drive from Rockwell Automation.

23/01/2016 09:43:03

The Kinetix 5700 servo drive offers dual-axis servos, a large 1.6 to 60kW power range, and time-saving tuning technology. Used in place of multiple servo drives, this next-generation platform can help machine builders reduce cabinet-space requirements by up to 70 percent, reduce wiring requirements by as much as 60 percent, and achieve easier configuration and commissioning.

Load Observer real-time tuning technology helps remove the need to tune each individual axis. This can help machine builders deliver high-performance motion control out of the box, and reduce commissioning time by days, weeks or even months for the largest machines.

Once a machine is operational, the Kinetix 5700 servo drive uses Tracking Notch Filter technology to detect and remove resonant frequencies, and automatically make tuning adjustments over time to help optimise machine performance. This can reduce the need for regular tuning maintenance and help prevent machine failures.

DSL feedback ports provide support for Kinetix VP servo motors with single-cable technology. This enables machine builders to package motor-power, brake and feedback wires all in a single cable, helping to reduce motion wiring requirements by as much as 60 percent.

Rockwell Software Studio 5000 Logix Designer software provides a single, easy-to-use design environment for configuring the Kinetix 5700 servo drive and integrating it with Logix controllers for both motion and safety applications.

From a safety standpoint, the Kinetix 5700 servo drive supports both hardwired safety and integrated safety over EtherNet/IP, in which safety data is transmitted using the same wires and IP addresses as motion and control data.

Integrated safety can help reduce overall system wiring, save time and money during installation, and help remove potential points of failure. Integrated safety also makes safety zoning and configuration changes easier for end users by eliminating the need to physically re-wire devices.

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.