June 2017 – At the SPS IPC Drives Italia exhibition (May 23-25, 2017 at Parma), German manufacturer NORD Drivesystems showcased user-friendly innovations in the segment of distributed drive technology.

The new NORDAC LINK series of field distribution systems affords operators and installers of conveyor systems considerable savings through standardization, plug & play, efficient operation, a high level of service, and ease of maintenance. All sensor, communications, and supply lines can be easily connected via coded plugs that only fit the appropriate slot.

The manufacturer supplies these new frequency inverters and motor starters configured to customer requirements. They are available with optional safety features, application-specific parameterization, and sensor interfaces as required in addition to support for all standard bus systems. Maintenance switches, key switches, and direction switches provide for very flexible direct user access to every single axis. As part of standardized LogiDrive units – along with IE4 synchronous motors and bevel gearboxes in three sizes – NORDAC LINK field distribution systems offer purchase cost advantages and help streamline spare parts management. The high-efficiency NORD IE4 motors give users great energy-saving potential especially in scenarios with frequent partial-load operation and at low speeds, resulting in significant TCO reductions. In addition, distributed NORD AC vector drives ensure high autonomous system intelligence. Featuring PI controllers and an integrated PLC, they can carry out logical sequences and take care of process control on their own. The PLC can monitor the drive system, evaluate sensor data, and independently assess the state of the system. A fully operational solution for predictive maintenance based on PLC data analysis is currently in development at NORD and will soon be commercially available. It will enable service intervals to be extended and improve the overall system availability.