Decentralised IP66 frequency inverter with IO-Link

Lenze believes it is the first of its kind to offer this level of communication integration for decentralised applications, making it suitable for use with conveyors, fans, pumps and lifting units.

Thanks to the inclusion of the IO-Link V1.1 standard interface, sensors and actuators distributed throughout an application can be linked to a centralised control system using the new i550 protec. The exchange of process, asset and parameterisation data in harsher environments becomes easier and more economical as the requirement for the manual addressing of nodes or the use of expensive screened motor cables is removed.

If an IO-Link master is already in use in the network, additional costs can be saved by using the i550 protec, as devices will be automatically parametrised during standard set-up, or as part of an in-service device replacement. The new decentralised communication standard ASi-5 can also be connected to the Lenze i550 IO-Link interface, along with other common fieldbus interfaces.

The i550 protec is a compact yet robust device. The 0.75kW version of the inverter, for example, has a volume of 3.1dm³ - at least half the size of typical solutions on the market. With IP66 / NEMA4X ingress protection, the device can be installed in areas that experience adverse environmental conditions such as high temperatures, dust, dirt or water jet during cleaning operations.

Neil Beaumont, Marketing Manager at Lenze, says: “The i550 protec is particularly suited to large-scale machines, distribution applications in material flow or wherever control cabinet space is expensive. With the introduction of this decentralised frequency inverter, we have opened new opportunities for mechanical engineers to control drives outside the control cabinet.”