Intelligent industrial workhorses

RECENT innovations to one of the world's leading ranges of frequency inverters have extended their versatility for applications in Australia and New Zealand. Frequency inverter innovations can be used across a wide range of industries. The applications for Bonfiglioli's frequency inverters range from continuous drives for simple conveyor belts to complex networked applications in manufacturing plant and machinery. They can even be used as portable power supplies. Most frequently, of course, they are used as drives for Bonfiglioli's own gear motors, with which they can fulfill a wide range of hardware and software tasks. The present performance range extends from 0.37 to 800 kW, and is covered by two series of products. Both these series incorporate numerous innovations in the field of frequency conversion, including machine networking functions and simplified setup and control. Their flexibility in complex industrial operations was demonstrated recently in the operation of non-ferrous metal separating machines that form part of the complex material transport system used in waste separation systems. These machines play an essential role in waste separation. It is thanks to them that non-ferrous metals can be extracted for recycling.

Keeping cool

Another innovation extending the practicality of Bonfiglioli Active frequency inverters is their availability with Cold Plate technology. Instead of conventional finned heat sinks, these units are equipped with rectified flat "cold plates" that offer far more flexible installation. Dissipated heat can be removed via suitably sized air or liquid cooled heat transfer systems. Cooling systems are normally incorporated in the frequency inverter itself. Irrespectively of whether heat extraction is by ventilation or liquid, Active Cold Plate frequency inverters can use any flat counter-surface as a cooling device. This is particularly important since it allows a number of units to be served by a single liquid-cooled heat extractor. Installations of this type permit significant space savings, and not only in width. They also avoid the problem of conventional heat sink fins becoming inefficient because of fouling, and permit control panels to be assembled without extra cooling for the frequency inverter.

Easy to install and easy to use

New functions have been added to boost the efficiency of VPlus 4.0 software for Active and VCB frequency inverters. The latest software features a clear new terminal monitor and setup window, variable presentation of real-time values, a four-channel oscilloscope and bus capacity. The functions help provide more global technical assistance. For plant operators, they also mean more convenient and safer machines. Bonfiglioli Vectron frequency inverters are quick to configure for the application in hand, easy to monitor and, in the unlikely event of a system error, quickly and accurately diagnosed. This is especially important in the case of exported units, which could otherwise take a long time to trouble-shoot, incurring unnecessarily high costs in the process. Start-up is really a piece of cake, since the determination of parameter values is performed automatically after a few simple basic values have been entered. In applications involving complex settings and adjustments, the frequency inverter can even determine its own optimal configuration after initial set-up, and automatically finds the data it needs. The plant can therefore become fully operational in next to no time. The set-up window is complemented by the terminal monitor, which allows the operator to control the functional integration of all standard connections and to simultaneously monitor current status and other electrical parameters. Any drive write errors can be quickly identified, and the accuracy of the frequency inverter's parameNike LeBron 16