Successful product lines are worthy of continuous improvement and enhancement. So, it’s no surprise that Oriental Motor – represented by Rotero (Woerden, NL) – has now expanded the BLH series of brushless DC motors with a new driver that supports RS-485 communication (and Modbus protocol). Besides providing for easier motor setting, the new driver also improves the characteristics of the motor. The second enhancement to the BLH series is the electromagnetic holding brake: an ideal solution for horizontal applications requiring the load to be held stationary for a brief period, such as loading or unloading in conveying applications, or in the event of power failure.
The BLH series motors are available with a standard output power rating from 15 to 100 W, and a choice of shafts. Until now, the driver options were a choice of either analog or digital setting of the motors, with the analog variant suitable for all power ratings, and the digital variant applicable to motors rated up to 50 W.
RS-485 driver
The company has now added an RS-485 driver to the range. This variant supports the RS-485 protocol, making it easy to copy data and settings from and to other drivers. Because the new driver also supports the Modbus protocol, it is now also possible to control the motor via a panel computer or PLC.
Monitoring
Besides easing the exchange of data, the new driver also reduces the required cabling, and it is compatible with the MEXE02 support software. Moreover, the digital communication facilitates the extraction and smart use of data from the driver. Potential uses are remote monitoring via the host system, and use of the data for predictive maintenance.
Are there further benefits? Absolutely! For example, a faster start and stop of the motor, which can reduce cycle times. What’s more, the new driver enables higher torques under continuous duty – up to approximately 0.159 Nm – at high speeds (up to 3000 min-1). Lastly, the motors emit considerably less audible noise than the previous generation, making them much more suitable for use in quiet environments.
Electromagnetic holding brake
The second enhancement to the BLH brushless DC motor series is the electromagnetic holding brake. This brake can be used to hold loads for a short period, for example during loading/unloading of a conveyor system or a workstation. The holding force also persists during incidents such as power failure.
When the compact motor is coupled with the digital or RS-485 driver, the ‘Move’ output can be used to check whether the motor has actually stopped before applying the holding brake. Motors with an analog driver can achieve the same using an external sensor.
Want to know more?
To learn more about these motors or one of our other products, simply call us at 0348 – 495 172 (NL) / 015 – 451 840 (BE) or enter your request in the contact form.
