NORD DRIVESYSTEMS is enhancing design flexibility with its latest offering, a modular system that combines decentralised drive electronics with high-efficiency motors to deliver a fully consistent solution. At the heart of this system are the NORDAC LINK and NORDAC ON frequency inverters, now equipped with identical communication and safety functions, ensuring seamless integration and greater flexibility across applications.
Large-scale intralogistics environments such as e-commerce warehouses, parcel distribution hubs, and airports benefit significantly from compact, decentralised drive solutions. However, system designers often encounter challenges when different inverter types vary in communication and safety features, leading to additional installation requirements. NORD’s new modular approach addresses this issue by providing a unified system with consistent functionality, simplifying design and enabling more efficient implementation.
Expanded communication and safety functions
The modular system comprises the asynchronous IE3 and synchronous IE5+ motors from NORD, and two decentralised frequency inverters as the centrepiece: NORDAC ON in the power range from 0.37 to 3.7 kW for wall mounting and motor mounting, and NORDAC LINK for power ranges from 0.37 to 7.5 kW for wall mounting. Both have identical communication and safety functions that have been extensively expanded by NORD.
Seamless integration into fail-safe applications
The frequency inverters feature on-board Ethernet and are compatible with PROFINET and EtherCAT. Both NORDAC ON and NORDAC LINK can be integrated seamlessly into a fail-safe application via PROFIsafe or FSoE. An extended safety function package has already been integrated. STO and SS1-t (each in accordance with SIL3 / PLe) as well as SS1-r, SLS, SMS and SSM (each in accordance with SIL 2 / PLd) have no encoder. Thanks to safe inputs and outputs, fail-safe components such as emergency stop buttons or photoelectric sensors can be directly connected.
Encoderless control of dynamic applications
Also for dynamic applications, NORDAC ON and NORDAC LINK allow for encoderless control of the highly efficient IE5+ synchronous motors. The CFC open-loop injection method allows for a start-up with 150 % overload and implements more dynamic accelerations through short ramp times. The method achieves high energy efficiency, especially in the partial load range. As no encoder is required, the CFC open-loop injection control reduces material and installation costs.
Lean system design with less wiring
The new modular system provides users with more flexibility in system design. Thanks to the consistent functionality, they can easily choose between motor-mounted or wall-mounted frequency inverters. The integrated functions furthermore reduce wiring efforts, simplifying installation and maintenance. All in all, NORD thus ensures less complex, lean architectures with an extended performance scope.
