Software speeds servomotor setup

Machine designers and builders can fully commission a complete high-performance motion control drive axis, including controller, motor and actuator, in minutes.

Festo has released servomotors and controllers that use the company's FCT software tool to expedite system configuration and commissioning.

The new CMMP-AS premium servomotor controllers, in conjunction with the new EMMS-AS servomotors, improve the ease and speed of set-up.

Using the supplied Festo Configuration Tool (FCT) software, machine designers and builders can fully commission a complete high-performance motion control drive axis, including controller, motor and actuator, in minutes.

Festo's CMMP-AS premium servomotor controllers are available with a choice of four different power ratings, to simplify application matching.

Two models, with power output ratings of 0.5 and 1.0kVA, are designed for operation from single-phase 115 to 230V AC supplies.

Two larger models, rated at 3.0 and 6.0kVA, are intended for operation from three-phase 230 to 480V AC supplies.

The single-phase models feature active power factor correction and all four models use high, tightly-regulated bus voltages to maximise efficiency and ensure consistent operational performance in the event of varying supply voltages, anywhere in the world.

The single-phase models use a 360V DC bus voltage and the three-phase models use a 600V DC bus voltage, maximising available motor current and torque.

The 0.5 and 1.0kVA controllers can deliver peak currents of 5 and 10A respectively for up to five seconds, while the 3.0 and 6.0kVA models can deliver up to 20 and 40A respectively, for up to three seconds.

These very high peak current capabilities make CMMP-AS servo controllers particularly suitable for highly dynamic positioning applications involving extremely fast acceleration and deceleration.

The controllers are also suitable for use with linear motors.

All CMMP-AS servo controllers feature a built-in CANopen fieldbus interface as standard, giving users access to a wide variety of low-cost I/O control options.

Festo also offers a choice of Profibus, DeviceNet and Sercos interface options.

The controller's front panel has two slots for field-replaceable plug-in fieldbus modules, together with an optional Ethernet port for remote, internet-based diagnostics.

RS232 and RS485 serial interfaces are also provided as standard.

Festo's CMMP-AS servo controllers are easy to commission.

All set-up parameters, including complete move profiles defining velocity, acceleration and deceleration, are developed off-line on a PC using the company's Windows-based FCT software and then downloaded to the controller.

As many as 256 move profiles can be stored on the controller and linked together, so that entire motion control sequences can be executed autonomously, entirely independently of the host PLC.

Additional move profiles can be specified via fieldbus whenever required, using the standard fieldbus FHPP handling and positioning profile.

The CMMP-AS controller accepts industry-standard +/-10V analogue speed-direction inputs and features particularly extensive I/O facilities, including a dedicated input for high-speed position capture signals, with a response time of less than 1us.

Two encoder inputs and an encoder output are provided as standard, to support master-slave operation for flying saw type applications and electronic cam operation for applications such as carton folding.

The FCT software includes a fully-integrated e-cam editor, which simplifies the creation of jerk profiles.

Operational performance is further enhanced by a tolerance compensation feature.

Various tolerances in the overall drive system, such as belt expansion or screw gain throughout the stroke of a move, can be preloaded into a lookup table and used for dynamic correction.

CMMP-AS controllers also feature an advanced all-electronic 'safe torque off' function, which meets the rigorous safety requirements of EN 954/cat 3, IEC 61508 and EN ISO 13849-1.

This function replaces the conventional electromechanical contact breakers with a fail-safe signalling system and specialised power semiconductors in a dual-redundant configuration.

Its advantages include simpler, lower cost installation due to the absence of external contact breakers and much faster recovery from an emergency-stop, because - unlike conventional controller/drive systems - the reservoir capacitors are instantly disconnected from the power output bus in the event of an emergency-stop and consequently do not require recharging afterwards.

Festo has also introduced 10 new fully compatible high-performance synchronous servomotors, with a choice of five frame sizes and single or dual stacks, spanning a continuous output torque range of 0.26 to 25.5Nm.

When used with the 6.0kVA controller, the largest servomotor - which is a dual-stack, 140 frame size unit - can deliver peak torques as high as 48Nm at speeds up to 1400rev/min.

All 10 servomotors, which are known as EMMS-AS models, feature built-in Heidenhain absolute single-turn shaft encoders and are available with high-resolution multiturn absolute inductive encoders.

The motor housing and power connectors of Festo's EMMS-AS servomotors have an IP65 rating and the shaft has an IP41 rating, with an IP54-rated shaft seal available as an option.

The motors have an ambient operating temperature range of -20 to +40C, or up to +130C with derating.

The mounting flanges and shaft dimensions of EMMS-AS motors are fully compatible with those of Festo's current MTR-AC range of servomotors, enabling customers to easily upgrade their existing automation systems.

EMMS-AS servomotors are supplied complete with a flange, coupling and coupling housing and Festo offers a wide range of compatible motor cables and planetary gearboxes to help further simplify installation.

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