Johnson Controls provides innovative automotive interiors that help make driving more comfortable, safe and enjoyable. The automotive interiors division turnover for FY2008 was €13.2 billion and it employs over 70,000 people. The production lines incorporating Lenze’s SMVector range of IP65 drives have been installed in two factories; one in Germany and the other in Turkey.
Fortunately, like other global manufacturing businesses, Johnson Controls has returned to profitability in the third quarter of 2009 allowing investment in new automation projects to continue. Price pressure however is always a consideration and in this application, driving the integrated motor rollers on a modular assembly line, meant that a cost competitive solution was essential. The SMVector not only met the price restrictions, but also reduced the footprint of an IP65 ingress protected drive compared with its competitors.
It was essential that the main Siemens S7 PLC was able to communicate with the drives via Profibus DP to provide easy factory integration, this was achieved simply as a Profibus DP comms module is a standard option on the SMVector drive along with DeviceNet, RS-485, LECOM, CANopen, and Ethernet/IP. The super fast dynamic speed response of this compact drive also provided precise speed changes and a reliable transport speed while the Flying- Start function enabled instant ramp-up for smooth on-demand conveying operation.
The footprint of this drive is only a few millimetres larger than standard inverters with no ingress protection from other manufacturers and significantly smaller than other water resistant drives on the market; hence, Johnson Controls were able to fit the drive easily into the available space. It was also essential that the drives were simple to use and set-up allowing the production line to be up and running as fast as possible and then easy to adjust and maintain once in operation.
While ingress protection might not be essential at all times on an indoor production line, using a sealed IP65 protected drive does mean that the drive does not require a secondary control cabinet to protect it from occasional atmospheric moisture, and airborne debris, (the main reason for drive failures due to cooling fans and PCBs getting clogged and overheating). This feature allows the drive to be positioned locally to the motor it is driving, meaning that each conveyor module can easily be plugged into another without external cabinets coming with them, further reducing wiring and installation time. It also means the modules are easy to move and reconfigure, essential in order to comply with today’s flexible production methods.
The SMVector is available from 0.25kW to 2.2kW for single-phase supplies and up to 7.5kW for 3 phase. Standard operating modes include enhanced V/Hz (constant and variable) operation, vector speed control and vector torque control. Motor calibration is via an auto-tune function. Various options are available including remote external keypads and dynamic braking units.
