world of industries 3/2017 (EN)

User-friendly variable-frequency
drives for intralogistics systems
In general, conveyor technology and intralogistics
require drive control systems which can be simply
installed and are easily accessible during operation
and maintenance. Field distribution systems from
Nord Drivesystems provide exactly this as well as
significantly reduced system costs.
About Nord Drivesystems
A developer and manufacturer of drive technology
for over 50 years, Nord Drivesystems employs more than
3,300 people and is one of the world’s leading suppliers
of drive solutions. In 2016, the company’s gross sales
amounted to EUR 560 million. With subsidiaries and
distributors in 89 countries around the world, Nord has
an extensive service network. Nord’s wide variety of gears
covers torques from 10 Nm to 250 kNm and more. The
company also supplies motors with outputs from 0.12 kW
to 1,000 kW and manufactures frequency inverters up
to 160 kW. Nord’s inverter line-up features conventional
models for installation in control cabinets as well as fully
integrated drive units and the all-new field distribution
systems for decentralized automation environment.
The company Nord Drivesystems has developed a new line-up of
user-friendly, low-maintenance electronic drives for intralogistics
systems. These new frequency inverter and motor starter models
for distributed installations are especially easy to deploy and operate.
Coded plug-in connectors ensure comfortable handling throughout
a system’s lifetime, from the initial installation, to maintenance, to
eventual replacement. Branded as the Nordac Link series, these
devices provide very flexible feature customization options that can
be configured to individual requirements: interface ports, manual
switches, and a range of functions that even include closed-loop
control and sequential control managed by an integrated PLC.
Distributed drives must execute commands from a higherlevel
central control system with absolute reliability. In many
scenarios, however, operating staff and service technicians may
also require optional direct access to individual drives or drive
axes on location. Such access enables them to quickly resolve small
problems like a jammed conveyor belt that might otherwise lead
to a shut-down of the entire line, sometimes putting hundreds of
conveyor modules out of work for a considerable amount of time.
Nord Drivesystems has therefore developed the new ‘Nordac Link’,
an electronics drive for particularly convenient and time-saving
operation and maintenance.
Key features of the new drives are coded plug-in connectors for
all power and communication lines, as well as for various sensors,
actuators, and encoders. These greatly facilitate accurate, quick,
and safe connections. LEDs on the field distribution systems
enable error diagnostics on the production floor, and operators can
HANNOVER MESSE
Featuring plug connectors and flexible
switch and interface configurations, the new,
compact Nord field distribution systems make
installing, operating, and servicing conveyor
installations easier than ever
30 WORLD OF INDUSTRIES