Application Solution
With high quality drive systems that combine gear motors with integrated distributed controls, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS provides both a reliable and cost-effective solution for the special requirements of the airport baggage handling industry. “What really excited us with NORD was that the input/output modules along with the
VFD
are all integrated with the gearbox,” says Downs. The integrated electro-mechanical drive solution equipped with quick connectors allowed for preassembly at Daifuku’s assembly shop which minimized assembly and field wiring costs. Additionally, this preassembly saved on installation time and commissioning the system.
NORD’s modular design is also beneficial for continued maintenance and support of airport baggage systems. “What really stands out for me with this project was that it was so uneventful. The fewest issues I can recall,” says Aaron Thompson, NORD District Sales Manager. The helical bevel and 2-stage bevel gear motors supplied on this project included NORD’s SK 200E frequency inverters for precision and motion control of the baggage handling system.
The following features were selected in order to provide additional safety measures as well as reduce the hardware and cabling required to wire the baggage system.
<h3>Safe Torque Off Safety Circuit (STO)</h3>
This is an emergency method that removes the 24V power that controls the transistors that produce the pulse width modulated (PWM) output signal for the motor. If the STO circuit is tripped, the frequency inverter will not be able to control the motor until the STO is reset.
<h3>DeviceNET™ Network Control</h3>
The AC drive is controlled by a centralised PLC over a
DeviceNET™ communication network
. This allows for reduced control wiring by eliminating the need for control cable runs to each frequency inverter. Higher resolution feedback from the frequency inverter is also available for the PLC to evaluate.
<h3>Local/OFF/Remote Selector Switch</h3>
A switch that allows the frequency inverter to be run in a local/manual mode. If ever the DeviceNET™ network is down or the network cable becomes damaged, the AC drive may be put into manual operation via a switch mounted to the AC drive.