Drives & Controls Magazine June 2024

46 n NEW PRODUCTS June 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com Rockwell Automation has launched a low-voltage motor control centre (MCC) for IEC markets which integrates smart motor control devices to deliver real-time operational and diagnostic data. It says that the Flexline 3500 MCC will help users to unlock production data and increase uptime and productivity. The modular MCC can be customised to suit LV motor control applications in a wide range of industries. When combined with smart VSDs, they can help to cut power consumption. The MCCs integrate motor control and power distribution in a centralised package that complies with IEC 61439-1 and -2. Claimed benefits include: reduced downtime because of built-in alarms and diagnostic capabilities; low maintenance costs; high production throughputs; plant and personnel safety; low engineering and commissioning costs; and small footprints because fewer cables are needed. Rockwell Automation http://rok.auto/flexline Flir has announced a cooled thermal imaging camera designed for 24/7 inspection, quality assurance and automation applications. The A6301 camera can capture products moving at high speeds with low blur. It can detect small thermal variations and measure temperatures accurately on the moving products. The camera is Flir’s smallestever cooled camera platform. When combined with other sensors and machine learning technologies, it can help to achieve smarter, more efficient processes. The company says it will help machine-builders and integrators to tackle challenging machine vision applications, boosting throughput and cutting downtime. Interfaces, commands and connectors comply with industry standards. GEV and GenICam protocols make implementation easy, and the cooling system reduces the need for maintenance. Flir www.flir.com/products/a6301/ ?vertical=rd%20science Smart low-voltage motor control centres can help to boost productivity and save energy I/O module allows drive-based machine control without networking Torque sensor with separate head can probe into machinery Control Techniques has announced an option module that provides high-density I/O expansion for its Unidrives and Digitax HD servodrives. The plug-in SI-I/O 24 Plus module supports drive-based machine control using conventional I/O, rather than networking. It allows drives to be mounted close to a machine, avoiding the need for costly PLCs, remote I/O or complex software. The module also offers a migration path for machines controlled by Epsilon EP servodrives, allowing them to be upgraded to new, highperformance Digitax products for improved productivity and accuracy. There is no need to rewire when retrofitting machines. The new motion control can be configured using CT’s free PowerTools Studio software. No investment is needed in expensive motion systems that require licensing and resourceheavy complex programming. The modules offer 16 digital inputs (eight of them highspeed), eight digital outputs, and an incremental encoder input (AB servo). When combined with a DIN-rail-mountable HD44 breakout terminal interface board and HD44 cable, the package provides all of the hardware needed to upgrade to CT’s latest servo products. Control Techniques 01686 612000 www.controltechniques.com Sensor Technology has announced a torque sensor with the sensing head and electronics in separate housings, allowing the head to fit into tight spaces, and the electronics to be located in a safe location away from damage, dust, dirt, moisture and EMI. The TorqSense SGR530/540 sensor is based on a fourelement strain gauge bridge, with the strain gauges fixed to the drive shaft, each measuring the deflection of the shaft in a different direction as it rotates. The electronics collects readings from the gauges and calculates the torque. The sensors are designed to meet emerging needs – notably recording transient torque spikes accurately. In the past, transducers didn’t have the bandwidth to capture these spikes. However, advances in automation and the increasing demand for accurate track-andtrace data has led to a need for more detailed measurement and analysis. A rotor-mounted microcontroller, powered by an inductive coil, measures the differential values in each strain gauge and transmits them to the stator digitally. Signal conditioning delivers highbandwidth, low-cost torque monitoring with high over-range and 400% mechanical overload capabilities. The sensors compensate automatically for extraneous forces such as bending moments, inadvertently applied to the sensor. The sensors are accurate to ±0.1%, with a resolution to ±0.01% of full scale. Sensor Technology 01869 238400 Thermal camera targets automation, inspection and QA applications

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