Improved Servo Cables for Variable Frequency Drives
By Andreas Muckes
Today’s high-frequency-controlled drives and motors, known as Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), are demanding and technically sensitive. The servo cables used for this purpose are therefore not only a means to an end, but ultimately even tip the scale. Why? Because even the nature of the materials used – in this case, the insulation material – can have a huge impact on the entire drive. Therefore, we at igus® have optimized the servo cables for the motors that are operated on a VFD or even a converter.
Frequency converters need suitable equipment
Our claim as a specialist for cables used in cable carriers rests upon our ability to always develop the optimum component for the respective field of application and to respond to current market developments with new insulation materials. The starting point for our igus® developers was as follows: The capacitance values of the cables are having an increasing effect in the compact frequency converters because the signal edges are becoming steeper and steeper. At the same time, the compensation must be increasingly compact for reasons of space. So we asked ourselves which cable insulation can lead to a lower energy loss than with the classic PVC insulation in motors with high-frequency control?
New insulation as a way to efficiency
Thanks to our decades of experience in the development of high-performance polymer materials, we have found the solution right here. Our chainflex® servo cables, which are guaranteed to last 36 months, are produced with a low capacitance (low dielectric constant) insulation material made of a special high-performance polymer. They show optimal test results and have also proven themselves in practical tests. For the customers, this means that they do not run the risk of encountering the electrical limits of the converter system and thus can utilize the latest technology of the most diverse drive manufacturers.
For a more in-depth look at our optimized servo cables for variable frequency drives, read this tech talk. You can also visit our webpage or contact and igus® expert here with any questions.
