Hybrids and safety are in the future

"I think Europe is ahead of other markets when it comes to drives technology. However, European manufacturers think too much about technology, the economics comes second," commented Dr Erhard Tellbüscher, CEO at drives and controls company Lenze. He continued: "They think that if they are very good with technology, the economic results will follow." Curiously, Dr Tellbüscher does not include the UK in his definition of European, but said that in contrast to European manufacturers, English and American manufacturers "aim much more at the economic aspects of drive technology". For this, he added, they often use easier methods with safety and more standardised technology. "I think that drive-based technology in the US has a market share of between 10 and 15 per cent, whereas in Europe, it is around 35%. "I believe that in America it will not grow to the same levels as in Europe because they find it much easier to use well-known standardised technology of a PC and drive. People in the States think much more in terms of software than we [Europeans] do here. We think more in terms of hardware." He argued that software is very important. "If you think in software terms, you think more about PLCs, complex PLCs and simple drives. So drive-based automation is more of a European domain and will remain a European domain." In the European machine building market, Dr Tellbüscher said he expected to see more decentralised technology, but on the other hand, PC-based control systems would also increase which would change drive requirements. "From an economic point of view, the PC is a multi-function tool and all the functions for programming and monitoring can be on the PC. Therefore, below the PC, all you need is an intelligent power module," he said. "From a controls point of view, the intelligence is in the PC and I see a trend towards PC technology with control systems." "In the drive, we only need an intelligent power module and I think with this we will see more multi-axis systems in one box. Not so much different drives, but different packaging. Three or four axes in one box for special markets such as robots and plastics moulding machinery. Maybe only one controller will control the power modules." He clarified the point: "If you have a three or four-axis system, only one or two axes are working at the same time, not all of them. It is true that for some machines such as machine tools where you are cutting or turning, all the axes are needed together, but for many machines that is not the case. If only one or two axes are working at the same time, you can save micro controller and microprocessor capacity. I think this will be another trend." On the other hand, decentralised and drive-based technology is also growing, he said. "In large machines, we will see this technology mixed with central PC control more and more. I call this a hybrid system." He cited examples of hybrid systems as textile machines with a central PC, where some axes work directly from the central PC, while other drive-based automation axes are only coordinated from the PC. Safety is also a key area that drives manufacturers such as Lenze now need to be able to offer machine builders. "Back in 1995/96, we were the first company to introduce the decentralised concept of the PLC in the drive. This was adopted into automation technology as drive-based automation, which we also call the intelligent drive. "Now, we see a really new technology - safety technology - integrated into the drive. I believe in the future there will be other possibilities for more functions in the drive." He gave an example: "A customer, a machine builder, needs a shaft and this shaft comes out from a motor or a gearbox. This shaft must turn in a specific way to match the functionality of the machine. All the functions starting from the electrical mains can be integrated in different ways. Consider it as a box. At the end of the box is a shaft. The input is the mains. So, if you think in this way, there are many possibilities. It is like a funnel, with lots of different inputs, but at the end, it is the shaft that must deliver torque and speed."