Lawrence Equipment headquartered outside of Los Angeles CA, designs and manufactures state-of-the art flat bread and fried snack equipment used in single small scale and multi-national large scale operations throughout the United States and Europe. The companys tagline The edge on automation summarizes their commitment to advanced technology and superb customer service.

As part of their continuous improvement program, Lawrence Equipment searched for the most efficient automation solution for their Mega Series Press. With a capacity of up to 3,000 dozen, 6 diameter tortillas, chapati, roti or wraps per hour, the Mega Series press is designed for large wholesale and supermarket production. In the demanding and competitive market of foodprocessing equipment, machine yield, quality and uptime are non-negotiable. Customers from across the globe rely on the performance of Lawrence Equipments high-end presses. When designing the Mega Series, the Lawrence engineering team focused on specifying components that provide value, improve ease-of-use and ensure dependability. They especially appreciatedthe PositionServos outstanding programmability and flexibility as well as the expert support provided globally by Lenze – AC Tech.

With the PositionServo, servo-actuated indexing is now a standard feature of the Mega Series press; It accurately arranges the array of dough balls on a Teflon mesh conveyor belt with the exact speed, acceleration and distance so they are fed continuously and evenly into the oven. The servo drive monitors feedback signals from the motor and continually adjusts for deviation from expected behavior. Also, PositionServo drive parameters are stored in the drives EPM (Electronic Programmable Module), allowing Lawrence Equipment engineers to create programs once and then simply copy them in seconds, saving time and avoiding errors. According to Lawrence Equipment, since the inclusion of the PositionServo in the Mega Series Press it hascontributed to a significant increase in throughput. Lawrence Equipment is currently considering incorporating the 940 PositionServo across all its machine platforms.

PositionServo Benefits

Superior Performance

Quick, Intuitive Programming

Removable Memory (EPM)

Seamless Integration Into System

Global Support

Multiple Communication Options

Outstanding Value

Product Availability

KVAL, a highly specialized manufacturer of door cutting machinery was searching for a better servo drive to improve the cost and performance of its milling machines. A local automation distributor introduced them to the Lenze-AC Tech PositionServo. The challenge was to find a cost competitive drive that would fit the existing profile and yet work with legacy servomotors and resolver feedback.

The solution was found in the PositionServo 941 designed specifically for resolver feedback. The PositionServo 941 was fitted directly to an existing machine and tested immediately in torque mode. The drive performed beautifully from the first application of power and led to substantial orders soon after. KVAL is recognized as a leader in the design and manufacturing of precision-engineered door machining and millwork equipment. Increased competitiveness within the millwork industry has forced many smaller companies to become more specialized. As a result, KVAL had to alter the design and configuration of many of its machines, the ease-of-use and programming of the PositionServo 941 meant that it was a simple solution to varying machine requirements.

Compatibility with the existing machine set-up was very important and since Lenze-AC Tech PositionServo products are designed to work effectively with the widest range of motors, feedback and machine control systems, it was no problem to fit in with components from three other manufacturers. Cost is an inevitable pressure for any machine manufacturer and KVAL is no different, the fact that the PositionServo provides solid precision performance, but without a price premium sealed the deal.

PositionServo Benefits:

Works with existing servo motors

Easy programming

Resolver or encoder feedback

Solid technical support

Rugged performance in harsh environments

Tight positioning control with

scalable emulated encoder output

Lenze-AC Tech announces the release of Additional I/O Modules for SMVector NEMA 1 and NEMA 4X Inverters.

Available for the NEMA 1 and 4X SMVector models, the Additional I/O Modules are available in two configurations (ESVZAL0, ESVZAL1). The modules supplement the standard I/O functions by providing 1 programmable form C relay output (ESVZAL0) or 1 programmable form C relay output and 2 programmable digital inputs (ESVZAL1).

The I/O module does not add to the overall size of the SMVector inverter as it fits right into the SMVector inverter terminal cover allowing for easy field installation. SMVector inverters that are fitted with an additional I/O module option will no longer have the capability of accommodating an optional communication module. The additional I/O module is great for applications requiring a relay and/or more digital inputs. says Steve Dextraze, Inverter Product Manager at Lenze-AC Tech. The two extra digital inputs are just that supplementary and allow the drive to be configured for several application specific tasks such as multiple preset speeds, electronic braking and motor jogging.

The SMVector inverter drive provides all the features required by demanding applications, including four modes of operation V/Hz, Enhanced V/Hz, Vector Speed, and Torque plus high starting torque, auto-tuning, advanced low-speed control and dynamic speed regulation. The SMVector is designed to be truly a global product, with an input voltage ranging from 120VAC 1-phase to 600 VAC, 3-phase, plus the Electronic Programming Module or EPM, a removable chip that is the drives memory and allows a customer to program multiple drives in just seconds.

Lenze-AC Tech develops, manufactures, markets and supports a complete range of motion control solutions, including servo drives and motors, clutches and brakes, gears and gear motors and variable frequency AC motor drives. Lenze-AC Techs portfolio of AC Drive products extends from some of the worlds smallest sub-micro drives up through large, 500 HP.

Lenze-AC Tech announces the release of EtherNet/IP as an optional communication protocolfor the SMVector Drive. According to Mike Bailey, Product Sales Manager at Lenze-AC Tech, the SMVector AC Drive can seamlessly operate on an EtherNet/IP network with the addition of a simple plug-in communication module. Othernetwork protocolsare also available as option modules including CANopen, DeviceNet, Profibus and Modbus RS-485, states Bailey.

EtherNet/IP is a member of the DeviceNet and ControlNet family of Common Industrial Protocols (CIP) developed byAllen-Bradley(Rockwell Automation ROK). As a member of the CIP family, EtherNet/IP can utilize the same set of pre-defined common objects, thus making communication between devices from different manufacturers much easier.

According to Lenze-AC Tech company officials, Lenze-AC Tech worked together with Allen-Bradley engineers to ensure complete product compatibility. We first added EtherNet/IP to our PositionServo Drive and since then, our customers have been looking for EtherNet/IP for their AC Drive Solutions, says Bailey, and he adds, Allen-Bradley remains the largest implementer of EtherNet/IP, with most applications in the packaging and automotive markets; providing Allen-Bradley compatibility and multiple communication options for all of our products allows our customers to choose the fieldbus that best fits their automation application as well as their physical network. Bailey explains that EtherNet/IP is a popular industrial network solution because it can support a nearly unlimited amount of nodes, can be used on a single point connection for configuration and control and permits devices to send and receive messages simultaneously.

The most technically advanced inverter drive continutes Lenze AC Tech’s tradition of innovative compact drive design. The performance and flexibility make the SMV an attractive solution for a broad range of AC Motor applications and with several communications protocols available, networking drives and components into a system solution can be done now and in the future.

The SMVector with intregal Disconnect is available in a rugged in a Nema 4X (IP65) indoor enclosure ideal for many industries ideal for food / beverage, waste water, chemical metering and processing,pharmaceuticals and more. The intregal disconnect switch offers the ability to isolate the motor for maintenance and supervising. Also, the disconnect switch handle is lockable and is made of red and yellow materials for high visibility.

The power ranges for the SMVector in Nema 4X with Intregal Disconnect include:

120/240V 1PH input up to 1.5HP (1.1Kw)

200/240V 1 or 3PH input up to 3.0HP (2.2kW)

200/240V 3PH input up to 30HP (22kW)

400/480V 3PH input up to 30HP (22kW)

480/600V 3PH input up to 30HP (22kW)

The SMVector Series can be used with 3-phase AC induction motors and is available in NEMA 1 (IP31) , NEMA 4X (IP65) and NEMA 4X (IP65) with an integral disconnect switch. Filtered input versions of the SMV are available in NEMA 4X (IP65) models for compliance with the CE EMC directive.

Programmable digital and analog I/O allow the drive to be configured for many application specific tasks such as multiple preset speeds, electronic braking and motor jogging to name a few. Like all Lenze – AC Tech sub-micro drives, the SMVector uses EPM memory memory technology for fast and efficient programming.

Type 4X (IP65) enclosures are available for either indoor use, suitable for most indoor industrial environments; or indoor/outdoor use that offers UV protection and has higher impact strength at low temperatures.