Visit the Parker Hannifin Electromechanical Automation web site

Integrated motion solution goes higher and lower

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jan 11, 2005

The Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 range, a key element within the Allen-Bradley integrated motion solution, has been expanded to include new low and high-power versions.

The Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000 range, a key element within the Allen-Bradley integrated motion solution, has been expanded to include new low and high-power versions.

Greater choice will allow more applications than ever to benefit from Kinetix 6000's compact, highly flexible design.

At the heart of Rockwell Automation's groundbreaking Integrated Motion Solution, the Kinetix 6000 servo drive delivers outstanding performance in both single and multi-axis applications.

While many users already enjoy the benefits of the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 6000, applications below 3kW or above 11kW have until now been reliant on the Allen-Bradley 1394 servo drives, or a mixture of drives.

But with the extension of the range to include 1.8 and 22kW models, the benefits of Kinetix 6000 are now available to many more applications, including demanding environments like packaging, materials handling and converting.

Central to the Kinetix 6000 concept is a single, common backplane known as Power Rail.

Unique to the Kinetix 6000, Power Rail greatly simplifies the assembly of a multi-axis servo system by replacing the time-consuming hand wiring of servo drives with a compact, multifunction backplane carrying power, control and communications.

With Kinetix 6000, customers are able to mix different rated axis modules, from the smallest to the largest power rating, in one system.

With Kinetix 6000, rather than being forced to adopt a "one-size-fits-all" approach, the customer can now tailor individual axis power ratings to their exact requirements by simply fitting the most appropriate axis module.

Up to eight servo axes of different power ratings can be accommodated on a single Power Rail, enabling significant panel space savings.

As well as being easy and quick to install - typically reducing assembly time by one third - the innovative design offers high immunity from electrical and RF noise problems.

Extending the compact design concept, Rockwell Automation has also introduced new line interface modules (LIM) to the Kinetix 6000 range.

Each one of these modules replaces nine separate components, eliminating up to 98 wired interconnections.

The latest LIM can provide 24V DC, single and three phase power for the whole panel, as well as support for 16 servos and 230V AC for laptops and panel power supplies.

Kinetix 6000's Sercos digital interface reduces the wiring overhead still further by replacing the complex bundle of wiring associated with traditional servo drives with a single fibre optic transport.

Not only is wiring time and cost significantly reduced, but system performance is improved as noise, interference and other degradation of the demand and axis position signal is virtually eliminated.

The Sercos network is also used to access many other drive parameters enabling remote commissioning and monitoring or drive status.

Kinetix 6000 is ideal for use in high-performance, multiple axis control applications requiring high accuracy, such as sorting conveyers, carton making, wrapping, bottling, labelling and case packing.

A velocity bandwidth of more than 400Hz and current loop bandwidth of more than 1300Hz - twice that of typical rival systems - makes the Kinetix 6000 exceptionally responsive.

Used in conjunction with high resolution smart encoders with absolute feedback, Kinetix 6000 delivers very precise positioning control, even at high motion rates.

The flexibility of the Kinetix 6000 is further increased by its unique feedback-only axis capability, which allows each Kinetix 6000 axis module to support two feedback devices.

This means an additional feedback device can be easily and inexpensively added to an existing drive for gearing and positive-camming applications, or for general position monitoring, without the expense installing additional hardware.

The Kinetix 6000 has proven a popular choice with OEMs: Its close integration with the other elements in the Rockwell Automation Kinetix integrated motion solution allows a straightforward and trouble-free system assembly.

As with all Rockwell Automation products and services, Kinetix 6000 meets international standards and is supported locally around the world.

With the extension of the available power range, Rockwell Automation hope that many more users will now be able to enjoy the benefits of the Kinetix 6000.