New inverters from Toshiba
New inverters from Toshiba
Keywords Robotics,Toshiba
Toshiba demonstrated its range of AC voltage/ frequency and sensorless flux vector inverters at Automation and Robotics '98 at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, together with its range of PLCs and, at the sharp end of industrial processes, the SR-HSP Series of Scara robots with up to five-axes capability.
These incredibly fast devices have achieved record-breaking traversing rates of 600mm in 0.93 seconds carrying a 2kg payload, while even with a 5kg payload the robot achieved the same distance in just 1.16 second claims Toshiba. The speed of the robot system does not end with the physical movements. The mechanical movements of the Scara robots are controlled using Toshiba's own digital servo motors, amplifiers and motion controllers.
On show for the first time was the latest VF-A5 sensorless flux vector inverter, new Tactile HMI operator displays, the new "Super" T1-40 miniature PLCs and a new PLC programming software suite called T-PDS for Windows.
The Toshiba VF-A5 sensorless flux vector inverters feature easy programming, high torque at low speeds, low acoustic noise and a small footprint. The new, compact inverter has a number of enhanced features compared with previous drives. The drive also uses a specialised gate array which improves rotational uniformity and therefore smoothness of the drive at very low speeds. Ease of use has been a primary objective, say Toshiba's designers and they have succeeded in making the VF-A5 one of the easiest drives ever to install and set up. The VF-A5 inverters are available from 0.4kW up to 280kW.
New for 1998 is the"Super" T1-40 PLC with enhanced features over the previous T1 PLCs but full compatibility with them. The Super T1-40 has greater selectable program capacity of 4k/8k-step, expanded register size, an additional instruction set and a built in calendar function. The new unit also has an enhanced built-in communications port for computer link, data link or free port, reports Toshiba.
The latest T-PDS software for PLC programming makes use of Windows functionality and easy pull-down menus while providing an improved set of tools. The software works with any of the Toshiba T Series PLCs and all of the Windows benefits such as drag-and-drop editing, copy and paste and so forth are enabled. TPDS allows offline,stand-alone editing and includes online sample trace and program diagnostic functions, claims the company.
Three new operator interfaces called the TACTILE 10, 20 and 30 were also on show. The TACTILE 10 is a simple inverter interface only and links with both the Toshiba S7 and the latest VF-A5 inverters. Housed in a compact 1/8 DIN case with IP65 rated front bezel, the TACTILE 10 has six keys and a two lines of 16 characters backlit LCD. The unit is fitted with an RS232 port and is extremely easy to connect with the drive. TACTILE 20 is similar but is suitable for linking with both drive and PLC. There are two user definable LEDs which are mapped to a register in the PLC. Special messages can be used to change data in the PLC and the register is defined in the message. The TACTILE 30 is similar in every way to the TACTILE 20 but has eight keys, of which four are user definable.
For further information contact Mr Nigel Knapp, Toshiba International (Europe) Limited, 1 Roundwood Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1AR. Tel: +44 (0) 181 756 6000;Fax: +44 (0) 181 848 4969.
