Industrial automation company Rockwell Automation launched its new range of alternating current drives last month, which is suitable for a variety of applications and offers ease of use and flexibility, says global product manager John Cherney.

The Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 750-Series offers more selection options for control, communications, safety and supporting hardware, he adds.

The series comprises the PowerFlex 753 and 755, which offer seamless integration into the Logix environment for simplified and enhanced configuration, programming, commissioning, diagnostics and maintenance which, therefore, reduces engineering time and costs.

A slot-based mechanical architecture to support addi- tional options for input and output, feedback, safety, communications and auxiliary power supply are also included in the series.

Further, to meet environmental protection requirements, the series is flexible, as it includes packaging options, high-power cabinets and commonly used power options that are required for high-power applications.

Cherney says the decision to launch a new product was based on a prominent need in the market for a strong synergy between a drive and a controller, both of which, he says, are strengths of Rockwell Automation.

“The development itself was created hand-in-hand with our controllers to enable the two devices to basically operate as one.”

Cherney explains that, as applications become more complex and the demand for connectivity to other devices, as well as the sharing of information to multiple locations, increases, the company developed a drive that offers creativity and simplicity to users.

“Most of the products on the market today are difficult to connect with each other, so we designed this product to offer users a simple, seamless, rapid and error-free commissioning process

,” he states.

He adds that the PowerFlex 750-Series is capable of conducting traditional induction motor control and any type of permanent magnet motor control.

“There is growing demand for permanent magnet motors and it is not easy for drive manufacturers to control these types of motors with the required level of accuracy. Rockwell Automation, however, has the capability to do just that,” Cherney notes.

Because the series’ control capabilities are so enhanced, there are few applications it cannot perform, he adds.

The series is suitable for industrial applications such as pumps, fans and high-speed processing equipment that require anything from speed control to torque control and positioning.

Rockwell Automation adds that the need for enhanced safety, such as that of personnel, equipment and facilities, is growing globally. The company, therefore, built capabilities into the drive for preapproved safety functionality.

The safe-torque-off and safe-speed-monitor options provide a choice of safety levels depending on application requirements.

“Each is added to the drivers as a user-selectable option. “All certifications are pre- approved and pre-evaluated, which makes it easy for users to certify their systems,” Cherney explains.

The PowerFlex 750-Series was designed and manufactured near the Rockwell Automation headquarters in Mequon, Wisconsin, in the US, and was made available to the market on June 7.

Rockwell Automation continues to add different functions and features to the series to ensure that the demands and needs of the industrial market are met.

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