Schleppketten verkleinern

Even after initial talks, LEANTECHNIK designer Mario Dobnik and his colleagues realized they had found the ideal partner in AMKmotion. “The decentralized servo drives are very well suited to our DAP because their distinctive design makes them extremely compact,” says Dobnik. In the iDT5 synchronous servo motor with integrated inverter by AMKmotion, the drive and inverter form a mechatronic functional unit because the servo controller is located directly on the motor. This reduces the space required for switch cabinets and cabling by up to 70 per cent.

The LEANTECHNIK team replaced the DAP’s previous standard servo motor with the decentralized synchronous servo motor featuring integrated inverter iDT5 by AMKmotion, which is manufactured in three sizes with a maximum torque ranging between 5.8 and 9.5 Newton metres. The iDT5 is equipped with an absolute encoder and a holding brake and drives the lifgo rack-and-pinion gear units by LEANTECHNIK via a torsionally stiff coupling. An iDT5 servo motor and a lifgo gearbox are mounted on each of the DAP’s three axes.

“It’s a customized solution, but we only use three article numbers: two variants of the decentralized power supply with integrated motion controller iSA and the synchronous servo motor with integrated inverter iDT5. This simplifies service for the end customer – especially since the user is already familiar with precisely these components from their swivel drives,” explains Jürgen Schnitzler, Global Key Account Manager at AMKmotion. The same AMKmotion models are installed in the swivel units – the only difference being the software of the decentralized power supply with integrated motion controller, because of the different task involved.

Each production module consists of six pick-up points and therefore six decentralized power supplies with integrated motion controller. Three synchronous servo motors each allow movement around a total of 18 axes. “15 to 20 of these modules can be connected in series on a production line,” says Schnitzler. “That’s a lot of axes,” he adds with a smile.

In order to protect the electronics from magnetic fields generated during welding, the iDT5 synchronous servo motor is fitted with an additional EMC protection panel consisting of a perforated plate that is capable of dissipating the electromagnetic fields.

At the top end of the Z axis of each DAP there is a clamping unit. This picks up the body and conveys the information to the station. The X and Y axes adapt to the required variant and the Z axis of four to six DAPs lifts the body into the machining position.

The spacing between the pick-up points of the DAP – which vary depending on body type – and the stroke of the axes is controlled by the decentralized power supply with integrated motion controller iSA by AMKmotion: it can lift up to six Z axes simultaneously in master-slave operation. Since all decentralized iDT5 synchronous servo motors are also connected to each other by means of the daisy-chain method, the amount of cabling required is significantly reduced compared to conventional drives.

EtherCAT and PROFINET are used for communication. Designed to comply with IP65, the iSA is ideal for modular machine construction. It performs three functions: controlling the movement, supplying the motor with power and serving as a gateway to the line level.

86 DAPs are installed in the car manufacturer’s production line, which is used to produce electric vehicles  as well as vehicles with combustion engines. The company benefits in many ways from using the three-axis positioning system with decentralized drive technology by AMKmotion: it has short cycle times, saves time-consuming manual adjustment of the conveyor technology and reduces space requirements to a minimum. Another key aspect is the great flexibility and the high level of efficiency this enables: these advantages make the DAP with smart drives by AMKmotion attractive for other industries as well.