Innovative Thinking

Automation isn’t a desire, it’s a need of the hour. Every plant operations manager is aware of this need and the impact it has on the overall safety, reliability and economic efficiency. Still, companies are sometimes suspicious of adopting such technologies as the risk for failure is significant while the margin of error near to zero. This is especially true in large-scale industries where even a single hour of downtime due to delayed or malfunctioned automation can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of losses.

Two major trends have greatly impacted the Motion Controls industry, and are currently affecting the global controls market: safety and single-cable servo motors. Therefore, knowing about the changing trends beforehand can serve as a great way to route the selection of your automation hardware in the right direction.

Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison are two polarizing figures in the field of electricity, both being equally credited and acclaimed for their inventions and innovations. As we know AC, or Alternating Current, was invented by Tesla while Thomas Edison put his DC power to work, with both sides trying to prove their technology’s worth. At the time DC won the battle but in the long-run lost the war, as eventually the entire global electric infrastructure adopted AC as the standard for transmission and distribution.  

AC Drives vs. DC Drives is a battle that’s been going on for too long, and even though AC may have emerged the victor in several fields such as generation and transmission, DC is still a force to be reckoned with.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) can extend the life of your motors, but how can you extend the life of your VFD? The most expertly specified VFD is only as useful as its operational reliability. This guide reviews variable frequency drives basics of care to ensure long-term productivity and cost-effectiveness.

Premier Automation answers with Siemens and their Next Generation of DC Drives Technology. 

The SINAMICS DCM.

The SINAMICS DCM is the newest member of the SINAMICS DC drives family, combining the advantages of its predecessors, the SIMOREG 6RA70 DC Master, and the SIMOREG 6RA24 with the advantages of the SINAMICS family. Many of the SINAMICS tools and components so successful in S120 AC technology are now made available for the 6RA80 SINAMICS DC drives.