Kollmorgen introduces the new AKD™ that provides seamless EtherCat® support without the requisite hardware add-ons

Name: AKD Advanced Kollmorgen Drive
Brand: Kollmorgen

The new Ethernet-based Advanced Kollmorgen Drive (AKD™) from Kollmorgen fully supports the EtherCAT® motion bus, without the need for option cards or other gateways as is common with competitive drive options. Because these capabilities are available “out of the box” from the base hardware, the AKD maximizes quality and operational flexibility while reducing costs and overall footprint increases associated with integrating additional hardware. In addition to EtherCAT®, AKD also supports CANopen® and Modbus/TCP.

“As a truly open network protocol, EtherCAT delivers new dimensions of networkperformance and is a perfect addition to what we think is the industry-leading Ethernet-centric drive solution in AKD,” says Josh Inman, AKD Product Manager, Kollmorgen. “And with AKD, CoE (CAN application protocol over EtherCAT) is tightly integrated at the hardware level thanks to the on-board CAN support. What that means for the machine builder is that no stack-on option modules or intermediary gateways are needed. Our CoE implementation also offers a cleaner migration path from CAN network machine networks to higher performing EtherCAT networks.” Kollmorgen is at the forefront of industry leading servo technology, as well as the pioneering efforts of EtherCAT based servo-drives. Kollmorgen is an original member of the EtherCAT Technology Group, which was founded November 2003.

The Ethernet-based AKD delivers best-in-class performance with industry-leading flexibility, scalability and power range to meet the unique performance requirements of nearly any application; from basic torque-and-velocity applications, to indexing, to multi-axis programmable motion via the company’s powerful new complete machine automation solution - the Kollmorgen Automation Suite™. The new AKD complements the existing Kollmorgen family of digital servo amplifiers.

“AKD is specifically designed with the versatility, communications, and power that OEMs need to expand machine performance and increase integration speeds. The AKD facilitates true plug-and-play operation with standard Kollmorgen servomotors to get an optimized, high performance system up and running quickly, in less space and for less cost, than lower performing options. Multiple Ethernet connectivity options available from the base hardware support a variety of open and closed protocols, without the need for separate option cards. And a broad power range in a smaller, compact design enables machine builders to use these robust drives with a single interface,” explains Inman.

The AKD is available for 120/240 VAC or 480 VAC operation, with a power range of 3 to 24 Arms continuous current, 9 to 48 Arms peak. Models with an industry-leading power range up to 96 Arms continuous and 192 Arms peak will be available in 2010. The AKD’s high power density enables machine builders to get more power from a drive as small as 168mm x 57mm x 153mm. As a result, OEMs can reduce the size of their machine, or increase its power without increasing its size. And with common interface and hardware across the entire AKD power range, machine builders will benefit from faster commissioning and troubleshooting, too.

The AKD is uniquely capable of supporting a variety of feedback devices and Ethernet motion buses from the base hardware, without the need for any separate option cards. Currently supported feedback devices include Smart Feedback Devices (SFD), Endat, BiSS, Analog Sine/Cos encoders, incremental encoders, HIPERFACE® and resolvers. With up to 27-bit resolution, the AKD delivers the industry’s lowest noise characteristics for improved machine precision. Additionally, a powerful dual processor system executes industry-leading servo algorithms with high resolution for very fast settling times. Because the AKD provides torque loop updates in 0.67 µs, while velocity and position loops lead the market at 62.5 µs and 125 µs, respectively, these drives immediately accommodate changing load conditions for industry leading performance.

The AKD’s easy-to-use GUI features a six-channel real-time software oscilloscope for fast commissioning and diagnosis. A multi-function Bode plot allows users to quickly evaluate performance, while Auto-complete functionality of programmable commands saves looking up parameter names. One-click capture and sharing of program plots and parameter settings allow users to send machine performance data instantly.

Additional features and benefits of note include:

Digital signal processor control supports reliable, repeatable steps
Screw terminal connectors on I/O allow for fast and easy installation
Optically-isolated I/O reduces noise, and eliminates need for additional hardware
SIL-qualified, over-voltage, current, and temperature detection for added dependability
Option cards that increase available I/O and add NVRAM
Processing power providing multi-axis machine control capability

The AKD is rated for operation in ambient temperatures ranging from 0°C to 40°C (up to 55°C with derating), and boast a robust MTBF of nearly 660,000 hours. They conform to Category 3/Sil2 and RoHS standards, meet the insulation requirements of IEC60601, are UL listed and carry the CE mark.

The breadth and depth of features delivered by the AKD make it an ideal high performance drive solution in a wide range of applications in any number of industries, including packaging, converting, printing, food and beverage, material forming, solar and medical.