Maximizing Performance: Advanced Features of PowerFlex Drives You Should Be Using

The Allen-Bradley PowerFlex family of DC and AC drives offers a comprehensive range of innovative features, power ratings, packaging & mounting options, global voltages, and motor control technologies from open-loop speed regulation to high-precision torque and speed control. This flexible portfolio of state-of-the-art drives is designed to simplify machine design, keep users connected to their operations, and ultimately help maximize system performance and productivity. It delivers a cost-effective motor control solution for a wide variety of low- and medium-voltage industrial applications, including smart conveyors, packaging machines, diverters, cranes & hoists, mills, de-palletizers/palletizers, pumps, aeration blowers, fans, wind tunnels, pulpers, compressors, rubber mixers, and chillers.

Advanced Features of PowerFlex Drives

As mentioned, the PowerFlex line of AC and DC drives from Rockwell Automation provides a broad set of advanced features that help maximize system performance and productivity. These include:

TotalFORCE Technology

TotalFORCE smart technology is a patented field-oriented drive control technology from Rockwell Automation. It helps improve the performance of Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drive systems by providing precise and adaptive motor speed and torque control. It combines advanced self-monitoring capabilities, high-performance motor control algorithms, real-time operational system data, and a modern digital platform to deliver faster, more precise, and responsive drives. Users leverage this smart technology to boost equipment uptime, increase energy and maintenance savings, and improve productivity.

Here are the various benefits of TotalFORCE technology:

• Predictive Maintenance Capabilities: PowerFlex drives featuring TotalFORCE technology include built-in predictive maintenance algorithms that provide total visibility into the health of the electrical components of the drives and connected motors. The algorithms continuously monitor the health of the components and compare their current performance to user-defined application settings. This provides real-time diagnostic data to connected controller platforms, alerting users of potential problems before they occur. As a result, users can take proactive measures to prevent component failure and unplanned downtime.

Essentially, real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and predictive maintenance alerts, which are key elements of TotalFORCE technology, enable PowerFlex drive users to establish resource-optimized maintenance strategies that reduce costly unscheduled downtime. PowerFlex drives with TotalFORCE technology also deliver predictive alerts on the expected service life of critical drive components based on actual operating conditions and usage analytics. This helps users predict equipment failures and take appropriate actions to ensure maximum drive and process uptime. Such drives also provide replacement and repair alerts that help simplify equipment maintenance and minimize related costs.

• Common Control Platform: PowerFlex drives with TotalFORCE technology allow users to utilize a common control platform across their entire installed base, as the drives share the same network interface software, firmware, and control hardware. This lowers the costs of system & component integration, operator training, drive system operation, and spare parts. The common control architecture also allows the control of single or multiple electric motors using multiple control modes.
• Adaptive Control: This is an integral component of TotalFORCE technology. It refers to the combination of Bus Observer, Load Observer, and Adaptive Tuning functions working together to monitor the operating characteristics of a machine. PowerFlex drives with TotalFORCE technology monitor the real-time performance of connected motors and automatically adjust as necessary to compensate for changes in the motors’ operating characteristics. This advanced capability helps enhance productivity, reduce mechanical wear, and increase process uptime by keeping applications running efficiently.

Additionally, adaptive control features in PowerFlex drives actively reduce drive system disturbances by identifying and isolating potentially harmful vibration conditions. They also suppress high-frequency resonances, allowing continued system operation. Moreover, these features help compensate for operational variances by enabling the drives to adapt to changing operating conditions, which results in improved production throughput. They also enable faster machine startup and increased system reliability.

Regeneration Capability

Regeneration capability enables a PowerFlex drive to send regenerative energy from the connected motor back to the main power supply, providing a braking technique that is much more energy efficient than mechanical or resistive braking. This helps minimize energy consumption and the use of braking resistors along with related cooling equipment, consequently reducing energy losses associated with such hardware.

PowerFlex drives with inbuilt regeneration capability include PowerFlex 755TM drives, PowerFlex 7000 variable frequency drives, PowerFlex 755TR AC drives, and PowerFlex DC drives. These drives help users avoid wasteful dissipation of regenerative energy from connected motors; instead, that energy is utilized in other useful applications. Also, by providing power regeneration capabilities without the need for additional hardware, the drives help reduce wiring, installation, labor, and maintenance costs.

EtherNet/IP Connectivity

EtherNet/IP is an established and widely adopted communication protocol that combines standard Ethernet with the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) technology to create a high-performance industrial network. This network enables a seamless flow of real-time operational data within a variety of applications such as drive-based, safety, high availability, batch, and motion. Access to real-time system data allows users to make well-informed decisions to enhance the productivity, uptime, safety, and agility of their operations. EtherNet/IP connectivity also supports smooth integration of PowerFlex drives into the Allen-Bradley Logix control platform, allowing users to easily collect data, configure, and control their drive systems over the EtherNet/IP network.

Various PowerFlex drives, including PowerFlex 755, PowerFlex 523, PowerFlex 527, PowerFlex 525, and PowerFlex 753 VFDs, are available with built-in/optional EtherNet/IP dual-port connectivity that supports several network topologies (ring and linear) and DLR (Device Level Ring) functionality. Topology flexibility allows for multiple drive configurations to support different applications. Implementing DLR functionality ensures higher network resiliency for optimized drive availability. For example, if one motion control device on the EtherNet/IP network implementing DLR functionality breaks down, the other devices can continue operating.

The EtherNet/IP network also includes a secure transport layer that helps protect connected devices from malicious communications and cyberattacks. In addition, some PowerFlex drives, like the PowerFlex 755 and 525 variable frequency drives, feature an integral EtherNet/IP port to execute Automatic Device Configuration (ADC). ADC allows Allen-Bradley Logix control platforms to detect a replaced PowerFlex drive and automatically download all the appropriate configuration parameters, eliminating the need for manual drive reconfiguration. The feature also helps to increase productivity by enabling reduced system downtime.

Advanced Safety Features

Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives are available with TÜV Rheinland certified advanced safety features that help achieve Performance Level e (PLe)/ SIL (Safety Integrity Level) 3/Category 3/Category 4/ ISO 13849-1/ IEC 61508/ EN 61800-5-2 requirements for safety-related applications. The features include:

• Safe Torque-Off (STO): The STO safety feature helps users address safety concerns by bringing a PowerFlex drive to a no-torque safe state for performing maintenance tasks and personnel entry. It achieves this by removing rotational power from the connected motor without switching off the PowerFlex drive, which is triggered by a dual-channel safety circuit within the drive. The feature offers the benefit of quick startup after a strain on the drive’s safety system. It also helps prevent unexpected machine startups and reduce mechanical wear resulting from repetitive start-ups. You can also use the STO feature as an emergency stop function in compliance with Stop Category 0, EN / IEC 60204-1 safety requirements.
• Safe Speed Monitoring (SSM): This safety feature allows PowerFlex drive operators to safely monitor and control the speed of connected motors. It indicates whether the motor speed is below a particular user-specified limit by providing a safe output signal, thereby permitting access to the motor-driven machinery for maintenance work or manual parameter adjustments while it is still running. The SSM feature helps enhance personnel & machine safety, maximize machine uptime, and improve process efficiency.

Note: Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives provide users with the flexibility to choose the manner in which they want to implement a particular safety solution for their applications. For instance, some drive profiles support hardwired, built-in Safe Speed Monitoring (SSM) and/or Safe Torque-off (STO) functionality, while others offer the option of networked STO or integrated safety. Built-in safety helps save on installation space and reduce wiring requirements.

Here at DO Supply, we specialize in all things PowerFlex, whether it’s repairing your existing drive or providing sales advice to find the perfect drive for your needs! All of our products and repairs also come with a 2-year DO Supply Warranty to keep you covered in times of need. Give us a call today or shoot us an email and we will be more than happy to help! If you like guides like this one, we have a blog to compare the drives you’ve just read about here.