Drive and control in many flavors

Nidec Drives is a supplier of Control Techniques frequency and servo drives, among others. In recent decades (more than 50 years) the company has built up a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding the application of electrical drive and control systems in a multitude of sectors. The sectors benefit from each other's developments. Because whether you mix concrete or chocolate, it makes no difference to the basic drive system.

The number of sectors Nidec Drives serves is now almost endless. With Control Techniques' extensive product range, the company has a major focus on mechanical engineering and industrial automation. This range roughly consists of: 

1. Standard open loop variable speed drives (Commander C and S series);

2. Frequency inverters for more complex applications (Unidrive M platform);

3. Service controllers for high end dynamic applications (Digitax HD).

An important added value lies in the extensive knowledge and experience available on the application of these products in a variety of sectors. Specialists in the in-house engineering department think along with customers about the best solution for each issue. Martijn Rijneveld is sales manager and knows: "The remarkable phenomenon then occurs that certain solutions for one sector end up being perfectly applicable in another sector. In fact, it makes no difference to the drive whether the agitator mixes concrete or chocolate. And whether we spin people fast in a fairground ride or a roll of paper in the paper industry. The challenge lies in seeing the similarities between the different issues and to use existing designs on that basis."

A great example can be found at a manufacturer of chocolate products. On a conveyor belt, this company cuts a continuous slice of chocolate cake into pieces of various sizes. If the speed of the conveyor belt remains the same, this means that a knife must cut more often (i.e. faster) for small products than for large products. Using Control Techniques controllers, it is possible to do this with one type of drive and adjust the speed to the size of the products. Of course while maintaining the required accuracy. Brend De Buyser, Sales Director Benelux: "A typical application that we have developed in the industry before for cutting textiles and long insulation sheets, among others."  

Another challenge was provided by a machine manufacturer that designs and builds machines for making hamburgers. The minced meat - or other substance - is pressed into a mold and then must be ejected. This motion is also familiar from the industry in making plastic products, for example, so developing the final drive was quick and efficient. De Buyser: "Or think of potato croquettes produced in different shapes by pressing puree through a diaphragm. A process that we do encounter frequently in various segments within the food industry. In fact, the same drive, just with different substances." 

In addition to customer-specific applications, Nidec Drives also supports larger overarching themes such as energy efficiency and sustainability. One of the focal points here is the dimensioning and adjustment of electric drives. For safety reasons, electric drives are often oversized. Especially when the design passes several people and each department applies its own safety factor. Based on knowledge and experience, Nidec Drives knows exactly where safety factors are exaggerated and when it is possible to use a smaller - and therefore more energy efficient - motor/controller combination.

The same applies to balancing. Drives that are properly tuned consume less energy and, in some cases, are even able to recover energy from braking movements. The benefits here can add up significantly when the number of drives in an application is large. Consider applications with high inertia such as turbines, hammer mills, blowers, etc. or vertical displacements where energy is recovered from descending motion. Rijneveld: "And let's not forget that there are still unregulated drives of which sometimes a lot of energy is converted into heat of loss. The application of an AC drive can save a relatively large amount of energy in these drives by matching the speed of the motor to the demand."

The ability to regulate at all is also frequently used to allow a drive to start up and slow down again in a controlled manner. Especially during start-up, this can prevent current peaks, which has a positive influence on the load on the grid but also on the service life of the entire drive itself. And last but not least, the digital nature of the controllers also offers every possibility for remote monitoring and fault diagnosis, for example. The consequences of failures such as unplanned downtime and all associated costs are thus minimized.

A second overarching theme in which Nidec Drives supports is safety. Machine safety and food safety are topics of paramount importance when it comes to protecting man, machine and environment. For this too, all necessary knowledge is available and Nidec Drives is the partner to spar with until the delivery of an optimal drive. Rijneveld: "We are almost literally 'drive obsessed' and gladly use this passion to offer our customers the best solution."