Control Techniques™, an Emerson® Industrial Automation company, announces the production release of its Mentor MP, an all-new, feature-rich, variable speed digital DC motor drive designed for energy efficient operation, optimal motor performance and enhanced versatility in its system interfacing capabilities and onboard processing power. According to Alex Harvey, Director of AC and DC Drives for Control Techniques - Americas, “The Mentor MP is designed to meet all present and anticipated DC market needs, promoting sustainable technology and setting the standard for excellence in DC motor control in the 21st century.”Designed for use in a wide range of industries and applications, the Mentor MP accommodates an output current range of 25 A to 1,850 A with a single module approach (a parallel approach planned for mid-2010 will boost that to 7,400 A). Drives to 210 A are available now in 12 and 24-pulse configurations for low harmonics. Mentor MP is the first DC drive to utilize patent-pending galvanic isolation to provide electrical separation between the power and control circuits in the event of a power-side failure. Standard features include an all-new external field controller for larger DC motors where the field current can be greater than the controller’s capacity. The controller provides field forcing for high dynamic applications such as very fast reversing (e.g. typical machine tool spindle applications.) Another new feature allows reverse jogging control with two-quadrant drives for lower-cost systems that do not require fast reversal. Also standard is a free SmartCard used to simplify drive maintenance and troubleshooting by storing parameter, PLC and motion programs and copying parameters from one drive to another without the need for a stand-alone PC.Network connectivity includes Modbus RTU, Profibus-DP, DeviceNet, CANopen, Interbus-S, as well as support for the Ethernet protocols: Modbus TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP and EtherCAT. The Mentor MP’s three universal option module slots provide unrivalled programming flexibility using any combination of 18 option modules available today. These economically priced option modules are common across Control Techniques’ AC, DC and Servo drive ranges, and include functionality extensions such as additional feedback options, expanded I/O and powerful onboard programmable control. Communications gateway solutions can also be implemented easily and economically within the drive by installing two or three networking option modules. According to Harvey, “The number of option modules will increase as Control Techniques develops new solutions for its complete range of drives.”SyPTPro-programmable option modules, called SM Applications, can be loaded with application-specific software such as crane control, winder/rewinder, flying shear and other commonly used automation functions. For less demanding applications, SyPTLite software can be used alone for simple PLC ladder programming onboard the drive. This capacity for on-board configuration can often eliminate a stand-alone controller and so reduce system cost. Further option modules can be used to connect with I/O, networking or Ethernet protocols for control and monitoring.Upgrading existing drives with a Mentor MP makes good financial and environmental sense. In addition to enhanced overall system performance and reliability, a Mentor MP upgrade minimizes problematic re-engineering and installation work, an especially attractive proposal in today’s challenging economic environment. For Mentor II owners, upgrading to the Mentor MP is fast and easy thanks to its shared mechanical footprint, mounting brackets and power connections. The eco-friendly Mentor MP is currently the only DC systems drive on the market that is RoHS compliant, helping protect the environment at the end of the product lifecycle.“Mentor MP is now without question the best DC systems drive on the market,” said Harvey. “With such a wide range of communications, control and feedback options available, it is the natural choice for any user or OEM who wants an economic, easy-approach solution either to upgrading an existing DC installation or specifying a new one, providing significantly enhanced performance and reliability.”
