Saving energy, space and costs

Drive conveyors: save on energy, space and costs

During the last Logimat, all eyes were on Lenze. With the introduction of the o450 MDR, it launches a "motor-driven roller" that, despite its compact size, offers double the power (115 W) of current solutions on the market. A potential revolution in the world of intralogistics.

At Lenze, they do have something on the horizon. A study for a climate project looked at the extent to which the Vernier principle could be interesting for the development of an energy-efficient motor. This makes use of the magnetic field in the motor to develop more torque and thus more speed. "So the development was not done with conveyors in mind. But when we thought about how we could provide innovation in this world, this project immediately came up again," says Lenze Global Solutions Market Manager Mechatronics Rune Friis-Knutzen. "After all, we didn't want to simply copy what was there, but to take a revolutionary step forward."

Response to evolutions in intralogistics

The team led by Friis-Knutzen eventually took another five years to make it a magnetic motor-driven roller, "fit for the market. "The first prototypes were given a place in the showroom of our own Mechatronic Competence Centre to find out from customer feedback whether it would be a good match for intralogistics applications." A market in full swing now that everything has become e-commerce. "The traditional heavy gearboxes to drive conveyors are now no longer the most efficient choice. The average product weight today is a lot lower and, in addition, there is more and more variation in the weights that pass through. In addition, you see micro warehouses springing up everywhere, guaranteeing short delivery times and located close to customers. Amazon Fresh, for example. Here, low weights and high availability are the priorities. A market that was thus looking for a technology that offered more flexibility," says Tim-Oliver Ricke, global industry Manager Material Handling & Logistics for Lenze.

Energy-efficient at any speed

But how does the o450 MDR respond to that? Friis-Knutzen: "It is a compact energy-efficient rotor that integrates high power electronics. Due to its unique operating principle, it achieves energy savings of 30% on average compared to conventional solutions. While these are quite efficient at their nominal operating point, above that they are a lot less. That's where our o450 MDR picks up the win, even at low speeds the full torque is available." The design contains less copper and iron, so less heat is generated. That results in less cooling, less drag and, converted to energy efficiency classes for electric motors, a label between IE7 and IE9. "One variant is also sufficient for the entire speed range. As standard it reaches 0.1 to 1.5 m/s, which is what you need for roller conveyors, but the technology is not the limiting factor in that. We really tailored it to the needs of the industry." 

Safe and quiet

In addition to energy efficiency, safety and welfare are also concerns in this market, which is growing 15% every year. The o450 MDR seamlessly responds to this as well. "The o450 MDR is a directly driven motor, with no mechanical gearing. This means you don't have to deal with the noise pollution that heavy gearboxes bring. We already have some nice reference cases that show that we produce a lot less decibels." In addition, the technology involved is 48 V. "Very specific safety procedures apply to heavy motors. Because of the danger of electric shock, not just anyone is allowed to work on them. For 48 V applications, that danger does not exist. To work on our o450 MDR you only need a short intro."

Sustainability above

What the customer can then still choose from: dimensions and surfaces. "In applications where friction plays a role, the finish can be in rubber, for example. The o450 MDR is available with diameters ranging from 50 mm to 150 mm." Despite all the additional advantages it has to offer, the o450 MDR will still carry a similar price from the competition. "We want to conquer the market," Ricke says about that. By the way, he is not completely unprepared. At Lenze, he has already been subjected to extensive endurance testing. "We had a 35-kg box move over it for 700,000 cycles. Then we had to stop because the box gave out. So in terms of durability, it's also pretty good. And did you know that 30% less material goes into it thanks to the compact design and it also contains 30% less rare earths?", Friis-Knutzen proudly concludes.