n TECHNOLOGY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IS LAUNCHING two new families of variable-speed drives for HVAC applications at this month’s Hannover Messe in Germany. The company says that the Altivar ATH200 and ATH600 drives will deliver energy savings of more than 30%, as well as improving uptime and integrating easily into building management systems. The ATH200 range is aimed at OEMs and compact HVAC equipment, helping to reduce engineering cycles, while the ATH600 is suitable for high-performance buildings that need advanced controls, continuous operation and deeper system integration. The ATH200 series spans ratings from 0.37–22kW, and will be available in 200–240V single-phase, and 200-600V, three-phase versions. The AT600 will be available in IP20 versions from 0.75–250kW, and IP21 or IP55 versions from 0.75-90kW, for 380– 480V applications. “With the Altivar HVAC drives, we are redefining what performance, reliability and security mean for modern HVAC infrastructure,” says Xiao Hu, Schneider’s senior vice-president for industrial controls and drives. “We engineered the range to support long-term sustainability and safety, from responsibly sourced materials to firmware upgradeability. These capabilities help customers reduce downtime, protect equipment, and meet evolving energy and environmental regulations.” The new drives have been designed to simplify installation, with built-in EMC filters and motor thermal protection, eliminating the need for external contactors and simplifying wiring. They support Modbus and BACnet communications. Their 200mm-wide cabinets and use of Reach, RoHS, and ASI-compliant materials, support rapid deployment and sustainable building practices, according to Schneider. The drives have IEC 6244342 Level 1 cybersecurity certification, and offer secure firmware integrity checks, as well as upgradeable firmware. With A2L certification and A3 refrigerant readiness up to 25hp, they support next-generation refrigerants used in modern chillers, heat pumps and HVAC systems. The drives will operate in temperatures from –10°C to +60°C, and will withstand mechanical, thermal, electrical and environmental stresses. They can be installed in outdoor enclosures, on rooftops and in plant rooms. Next-gen HVAC drives promise energy savings of more than 30% April 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 20 BlueBotics, the Swiss specialist in autonomous navigation and fleet management, has announced a technology that, it claims, bridges the gap between AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and AMRs (autonomous mobile robots). The safe, configurable SmartPass system avoids obstacles without the drawbacks of traditional AMRs. It is said to be suitable for all types of automated vehicle and any industrial site. SmartPass allows automated vehicles to follow virtual paths most of the time – for efficient, robust and repeatable operation – while performing obstacle avoidance when it detects blockages. The technology is available to vehicle manufacturers, systems integrators, and end-users that use AGVs and AMRs managed by BlueBotics’Ant (autonomous navigation technology) fleet manager. “No matter how clean a site, and how well trained its staff, the paths of mobile robots sometimes become blocked,” explains BlueBotics’ CEO, Dr Nicola Tomatis. “AGVs typically manage this situation by sending an alarm to an operator, while AMRs take any route possible, without limitation. The first can lead to transport delays, the second to traffic deadlocks. SmartPass effectively bridges the gap between the two. “Rather than layering basic traffic management over obstacle avoidance functionality – which AMR producers have attempted with limited results – SmartPass does the opposite,”Tomatis continues. “It adds smart, configurable obstacle avoidance to Ant navigation’s default ‘virtual path follower’ mode. This ensures the powerful traffic management features of our Ant server fleet manager are also applied to SmartPass manoeuvres.” BlueBotics claims that the SmartPass function offers three key benefits that are unique in the mobile robot industry: n Efficient movements Vehicles using SmartPass take the shortest route around an obstacle, within pre-configured limits, before returning to their virtual path. They also move faster than traditional AMRs. Travelling at optimal speeds and with optimal acceleration, they follow virtual paths and respect clear traffic rules most of the time, switching to slower, more reactive speeds only when necessary. Actions such as moving forks and communicating with equipment take place during while the vehicle is moving, saving time compared to the more common sequential approach. n Fewer deadlocks By managing the movements of vehicles in an existing traffic management framework, SmartPass guarantees that vehicles avoid obstacles only when there is no risk of blocking other robots, thus reducing the risk of deadlocks. Vehicles move around objects and not around other vehicles – another cause of deadlocks. n Configurability SmartPass can be configured to suit any site or operational needs. For example, users can define: the maximum distance a vehicle can travel from its virtual path; the areas (and even individual routes) of a site where SmartPass cannot be used; and vehicle-specific parameters such as the exact distance to stop before an obstacle. “SmartPass doesn’t allow robots to roam freely, and is built from the ground up on Ant server’s powerful traffic management, virtually eliminating the chance of deadlocks,”Tomatis says. “We are confident this safe, prudent approach best meets the needs of industrial customers looking to deploy AGVs and AMRs in what are often high-traffic locations.” Schneider Electric’s new ATH600 HVAC drives are aimed at high-performance buildings Technology bridges gap between AGVs and AMRs
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