GaN Systems, global leader in gallium nitride power semiconductors, announced that Siemens is integrating part of its Simatic Micro-Drive product line with GaN Systems power semiconductors. Thanks to the integration of GaN Systems power transistors, the Simatic product line features industry-leading standards and benefiting customers by power density, efficiency and robustness.
Drives’ efficiency and motor response time improved
Christian Neugebauer, product manager of Simatic Micro-Drive, Siemens, stated: “The Simatic Micro-Drive is an extremely versatile, seamless and safety integrated servo drive system that covers a wide range of applications in the extra-low voltage range for EC motors from 24 to 48 volts,”. He added: “With the GaN Systems devices, we are now able to increase the efficiency of the drives. With GaN, Siemens can switch to a higher frequency, thereby enabling a faster motor response time compared with high voltage drive systems.”
The integrated Simatic Micro-Drive system has recently entered the low voltage and extra-low voltage drive market and is available in two different housing sizes for motor outputs of between 100 and 1000 watts. Its fundamental building block is the GaN power transistors made by GaN Systems. This 4-quadrant drive system can be either used with the integrated brake chopper on a power supply or directly in battery operation.
GaN is now
The servo drive system is suited to a wide range of diverse applications in moving, processing and positioning such as conveyor systems and stacker cranes, positioning of individual or multiple coordinated axes, shuttles for storage and retrieval machines or warehousing systems, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) and medical technology.
“Many industrial customers have leveraged the benefits of GaN in their production products. We have designed and tested the high quality and performance requirements needed to earn the confidence in GaN technology required by our customers and are thrilled to see that the efforts that Siemens and GaN Systems have invested are now being realized,” said Jim Witham, CEO for GaN Systems. “No longer is the GaN conversation about ‘if or when’. Clearly, it is ‘now.’”
