n TECHNOLOGY October 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 18 OMRON HAS ANNOUNCED a new highperformance, general-purpose inverter that extends its drive portfolio to a wider range of applications. The R1 (3G3R1) variable-speed drive is the most powerful member of the company’s inverter family, spanning ratings from 0.4kW to 630kW at 400V, and is designed for a 10-year life. The drive can control induction motors, permanent magnet motors, direct-drive PM motors (with up to 128 poles), as well as special motors such as drum motors. It comes with new auto-tuning functions that enable multi-drive operation using induction and synchronous motors. The VSD offers 40Hz sensorless control, 200Hz vector closed-loop control, a 1.5kHz current response, and a maximum output frequency of 599Hz. It can deliver 200% or more of torque at 0Hz and supports applications requiring highspeed rotation with minimal speed and torque fluctuations. Built-in functions include positioning control, orientation, master-follower operation, automatic energy-saving, with regenerative braking as an option. Omron says that many machine-builders face two very different control challenges in a single machine: straightforward horizontal motion is one thing; but holding a heavy load steady on a vertical axis is another, as well as controlling motion precisely from zero speed the instant a brake releases. The R1 is purpose-built for applications such as hoists, stacker cranes, press machines, winding machines, rolling mills and machine tools, as well as for fans, pumps and compressors. Users moving from Omron's M1 inverter to the R1 won’t need to retrain because the drives share the same parameter structure, terminal names and functions, and communications addressing, and they use the same programming environment, including Sysmac Studio and Drive Programming customisation. Existing PLC programs and function blocks can carry over directly. The R1 is also designed to reduce two of the most common sources of lost time on plant floors: unplanned downtime; and slow commissioning. Predictive maintenance functions – including IGBT life warnings, cooling airflow alerts, and full traceback data – will flag potential issues before they stop a line. And a new multi-function keypad, available in 10 languages with Bluetooth and USB connections, allows technicians to commission and diagnose a drive at any site, without any language barriers. The R1 has STO SIL3 PLe functional safety built in as standard, avoiding the need for separate safety hardware. It is designed to withstand harsh industrial environments (IEC 60721-3-3, Class 3C2), with an optional mounting adapter for external, IP55-rated cooling. The drive supports Modbus communications as standard with optional support planned for EtherCat, Profibus, Profinet and Modbus TCP. The inverter is certified to CE, UL, cUL/CSA and RoHS2. Braking transistors are built in and braking resistors are included in the heatsink for models up to 7.5kW. ttps://industrial.omron.eu/en/products/r1 DANFOSS HAS UPDATED its iC7Automation family of drives to offer expanded power ranges for six-pulse, lowharmonic and regenerative applications. Other enhancements focus on safety, uptime and power density. There have been significant extensions to the power capabilities of both system modules and enclosed drives, including: n new 690V AFE (active front-end) and inverter modules (up to 4.5MW), delivering high efficiency, regeneration and low harmonics; n new 500V and 690V high-power NFE (non-regenerative front-end) drives from 430kW–3.8MW and up to 6MW DC, offering a compact, cost-effective technology for non-regenerative systems; and n enclosed drive extensions six-pulse, low-harmonic drives, and regenerative drives up to 1.6MW A new built-in Atex option allows the frequency converters to control Ex d motors safely in hazardous zones without needing any external devices. Danfoss says that this will simplify installation, reduce paperwork, and cut costs by integrating thermal monitoring into the drive. For process-critical industries, new support for Profinet S2 system redundancy ensures continuous operation of the drives without needing extra hardware, thus improving uptime by maintaining control even if a communication path fails. Integration with other systems is now easier with expanded support for EtherCat and Modbus RTU. Onboard control is also enhanced with more powerful logic blocks, increasing flexibility and reducing the need for external programming. New field-programmable service and control devices cut inventory costs and downtime. A single programmable spare can be configured quickly on-site for various types of drive using an SD card, thus making maintenance easier. https://www.danfoss.com/en/products/dds High-performance inverter expands Omron’s drives portfolio Danfoss updates drives with new power versions and other upgrades Omron’s new R1 drive includes braking resistors in the heatsink for models up to 7.5kW.
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