Parker SSD has made a "significant" investment to develop its first all-new ranges of drives for several years. At the recent SPS/IPC/Drives show in Germany, it unveiled the first range in the new generation. Called the AC30, it is aimed at fan, pump and general-purpose industrial applications and can control permanent magnet servomotors as well as AC induction motors. A further range, targeting machine control applications, is due in late 2012.

Peter Vos, general manager of Parker SSD Drives Europe, says that the aim is to achieve a sizeable increase in market share. "With these products, we believe we are well-placed to achieve this," he says.

Initially, the AC30V (shown above) will cover the power range 0.75–18.5kW in three frame sizes, with either IP20 backplate or through-panel mounting. Enclosed IP55 and coldplate mounting versions are planned, as are power ratings up to 110kW. The IP55 version will be Parker’s first.

A modular design will allow customised variants to be produced for different countries or specialised applications, as well as cutting inventory costs. Various plug-in I/O and communications card options will be offered, supporting networks including Profinet, Profibus, Ethernet IP, Bacnet, EtherCat, DeviceNet, CANopen and Modbus TCP/IP.

A graphical keypad and backlit multilingual LCD provide intuitive access to the drive functions. A wizard will help users to configure their drives in a few minutes and will take care of most parameters automatically. Once configured, an autotune function will optimise the drive for the motor. The parameters can be stored on an SD memory card for backup, or to set up other drives.

Built-in PLC functions and macros for various applications will allow users to create sophisticated controls that would previously have needed a separate PLC. A free software package can be used to configure, monitor and control drives from a PC, either directly or via a network. Dedicated application modules are planned for duties such as hoists and compressors.

The AC30V is designed to operate in temperatures from 0–50°C. Conformal coating is standard, and EMC filters and DC chokes are built in. It is also designed to be easier to service than earlier SSD drives. The only fans are on the power stacks; all other components are ventilated naturally.

The new drives are due to reach the market by April. Initially, they will be manufactured at Parker SSD’s Littlehampton, UK, base but they have been designed for easy of production anywhere in the world, tailored to the demands of local markets.