Omron-Yaskawa is making big claims for its V1000 compact inverter series. The company believes it is the world’s most dependable inverter and says that every aspect of inverter design has been challenged in its development. The V1000 delivers on three core promises: a ten-year design lifetime, a one in 10,000 field failure rate and a 100% expectation match for machine builders and end users. According to Omron-Yaskawa, the high reliability has been achieved by halving the number of mechanical components and tackling heat dissipation using a new hybrid heat sink design.
Rated to 15KW, the new design is also among the smallest inverters in the world, achieving a 40% space reduction compared with the company’s previous series. Processing is four times faster, thanks to new CPUs, and inverter performance has also been enhanced with the option to increase output current when moving down in carrier frequency. The V1000 is able to control induction as well as synchronous motors, the latter type becoming more popular due to their energy and space saving features.
The compact V1000 is quick and simple to install, its novel heat dissipation feature allowing side-by-side installation for maximum panel space utilisation. Further installation benefits include screw-less terminals and an auto-tuning system that requires little or no expert knowledge to implement. Once the V1000 has been set, the control parameters are saved to its control terminal board memory. In the unlikely event of an inverter problem, the terminal board is simply inserted into a replacement inverter, which is instantaneously updated with the saved settings, ensuring minimum downtime. As an aid to preventive maintenance, intelligent built-in functions calculate the condition of the inverter, advising on replacement based on factors such as load stress, temperature and hours in service.
Other V1000 features include dual safety inputs (to EN954-1 Cat 3) for easy integration into a safety controller, built-in EMC filter and compatibility with DeviceNet, Profibus-DP, CANopen and CompoNet networks via optional communication cards.
“Omron-Yaskawa has left no stone unturned with the V1000, tackling every aspect of inverter design,” says Robert Brooks, Omron Electronics UK’s product marketing manager for drives claims. “We think we have set the barrier at a high level to deliver a general purpose inverter that ticks so many boxes, and more besides.”