Drives&Controls & BACK TO BASICS n SPONSORED BY Removing the guesswork from commissioning, virtually Digital twins create a replica of an object or system in a digital version of its environment. Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s UK product manager for LV drives, explains how they can be used to save time, reduce errors, and streamline on-site drive commissioning. When commissioning a drive on a complex project, it’s rare that everything goes exactly to plan. Unexpected problems will inevitably arise and require solving before the drive can be taken online. However, while solving engineering challenges in the field is rewarding, it can also be very timeconsuming – and time is a luxury most integrators seldom have. The more complex the project, the more time it typically takes to commission it. Drives used in applications such as large cranes or test rigs can take days to parameterise, and this is not something you can afford to make mistakes or cut corners on, particularly where safety is concerned. The challenges encountered may only emerge once you are on site and understand how the drive is interacting with wider systems. And the more time this takes, the more it can cost, particularly in remote or inaccessible locations that need lots of travel time. Digital twins allow you to solve many of these challenges before you set foot on site. They provide a virtual environment in which machine-builders and systems integrators can develop and simulate entire industrial processing lines and machines, without actually running the hardware. Virtual drives are commissioned in the same way, and using the same software, as their physical counterparts. This means that configuration and programming can start long before the actual drive arrives from the factory, and allows any potential pitfalls in the commissioning process to be identified and solved well before the physical installation, leading to a more streamlined workflow on site. Users can test dimensioning and control interfaces, configure functional settings for drives and PLCs, verify logic and debug code, and test the drive with other virtual machine models to see how they interact. The parameters can be loaded onto the physical drive once it has been installed, or even kept as a backup file on the virtual environment. It can also be used for training, and for energy optimisation of drive systems. To find out more, search for “ABB Virtual Commissioning”. Unit 3B, Lythalls Lane Industrial Estate, Lythalls Lane, Coventry CV6 6FL UNITED KINGDOM T. +44 2476 30 7722 | E. sales@andantex.co.uk www.andantex.co.uk
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