Location: Dortmund, Germany
Timeframe: March - June 2024
Protagonist: Lars Weber, Plant Engineer
Application: High-Speed Bottle Sorting & Conveying System
At a mid-sized beverage recycling facility in Germany’s industrial Ruhr region, aging conveyor drives caused frequent bottlenecks. Bottle jams during startup (especially under heavy loads) and inconsistent labeling positioning reduced throughput by 30%. Maintenance costs soared due to abrupt stops triggering overcurrent faults. Lars needed a robust, precision drive compatible with Europe’s 400V/50Hz grid and capable of handling:
- Heavy inertial loads during cold starts
- Synchronized positioning for label detection
- Rapid fault recovery to minimize downtime
Lars selected the HV510 series inverter after verifying its compliance with European voltage standards (380V–480V ±10%) and environmental specs (ambient temp: -25°C–40°C). Key configurations deployed:
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Motor Control & Torque
- Used Closed-Loop Vector Control (CLVC) for permanent magnet motors, achieving 200% starting torque at 0Hz to break jammed bottle stacks instantly.
- Leveraged ≤±5% torque precision to maintain smooth acceleration on inclined conveyors.
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Precision Positioning
- Programmed Fixed-Length Control via digital inputs (DI1–DI5) to align bottles under optical sensors within ±2mm tolerance.
- Enabled S-curve acceleration to prevent bottle toppling during rapid direction changes.
-
Fault Resilience
- Activated Overvoltage Stall Control to suppress trips during regenerative braking (common on downhill conveyors).
- Used Virtual IO to create logic bypasses for jammed sections, rerouting bottles automatically via programmed DI/DO sequences.
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System Integration
- Connected optical sensors to 0–10V analog inputs (AI1/AI2) for real-time speed adjustments.
- Installed HVCOM-CAN expansion card to integrate with the plant’s CANopen-based monitoring system.
| Metric | Before HV510 | After HV510 | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line Throughput | 1200 bpm | 1560 bpm | +30% |
| Jam-Related Stops | 15/day | <2/day | -87% |
| Energy Consumption | 142 kWh/h | 121 kWh/h | -15% |
| Label Positioning | ±15mm | ±2mm | 86% accuracy↑ |
Lars’ Feedback: "The CLVC mode’s zero-speed torque eliminated our bottle-jam headaches. The virtual IO let us implement smart bypass logic without rewiring – crucial during peak shifts. For German factories dealing with tight EU efficiency mandates, this is a game-changer."
- Voltage/frequency specs (400V/50Hz) align with HV510’s input range.
- Industrial ambient temperatures (-5°C to 35°C) fit within the inverter’s operating range.
- High automation maturity enables leveraging advanced features like CANopen integration.
Future Plans: Testing the HVPG-ABZ encoder card for closed-loop synchronization with robotic palletizers – a common need in Europe’s automated logistics hubs.
