Smart Optimization: IoT shortens development time in drive design

Jürgen Dlugosch, Baumüller Nürnberg GmbH

Read min.

Baumüller Smart Value
Get more out of your drive technology with IoT: Baumüller Smart Value is all about the added value that smart drive technology gives mechanical engineers and machine operators. Baumüller Smart Value enhances the scope of our servo drives: It takes existing data, such as power, current, torque, speed and position, and provides users with important additional information (e.g. machine operating status) or decisions are made directly in the drive to prevent machine failures. The same can be said of the associated design software, which ensures that the motor / controller combination is optimally dimensioned for the respective application and the controller is parameterized. In addition, the design can be immediately verified and optimized on the digital twin using simulation technology.

How to: Drive design and how simulation helps

The challenge

The drive design involves details. Not only underdimensioning but also overdimensioning of the electric drive cause subsequent effort and unnecessary costs. If the drive is too small the machine cannot deliver the expected performance. If it is overdimensioned the machine acquisition and maintenance costs increase.

The solution

Software tools for the design and simulation of electric drives help by enabling the right drive to be chosen and confirmed virtually at an early stage in the development.

Baumüller offers two tools, which enable optimum design of the design components.

Dimensioning with sizemaXX

With the sizemaXX dimensioning tool you can quickly and easily determine the optimum drive for your respective application. The software assists with the calculation of components and therefore prevents overdimensioning. It also determines potential drive savings. You therefore achieve the suitable power density in the drive and avoid unnecessary power consumption.

The software contains the specifications of all Baumüller components. The tool saves work for the designer, since it calculates all necessary data such as power module current, link, braking and regenerative power, and outputs the suitable components.

Not only servo electric, but also servohydraulic drives can be designed in this ways, since parameters such as pressure and flow profile can also be entered and all characteristic data of the available servo pumps are stored in the system. sizemaXX determines the motor, converter and pump requirements and from these it generates a complete material list. In the user-friendly software you will find direct links, which lead directly to corresponding technical documentation.

The integrated energy cost calculator also determines the energy balance automatically. The software displays the power flow in the system and calculates the annual energy costs for the overall system and the individual axes. In addition, the total energy costs for an estimated machine life can be calculated. You can also read out potential energy savings, which sizemaXX also outputs in euros and cents.

Here you can request your free sizemaXX license.

Verifying drive design with ProSimulation

The Baumüller ProSimulation tool can be used to map and verify drive dimensions virtually. ProSimulation contains an extensive library with Baumüller drive components and ready-made modules for different drive mechanisms. The user-friendly software is integrated directly in die ProDrive commissioning software and with the same Look & Feel. Thanks to its basic library, ProSimulation enables newcomers to simulation without their own models to easily set up and test their own simulations. Verification of the drive design at the digital twin can therefore be implemented quickly and easily. Thanks to open standards such as FMI/FMU (functional mock-up interface), if you already have your own, well-engineered simulation models you can import them into ProSimulation quickly and easily.

Further information on ProSimulation can be found here.

As an optional service, we offer you complete drive design, the creation of new customized simulations as well as support for modeling or virtual commissioning.

About Simulation

Simulation is the reproduction of specific realities for different purposes. These purposes can be, for example, the dimensioning of drive trains and examining external influences such as temperature or friction. Simulation is used to analyze systems which are too complex for theoretical or formula-based treatment. Tests are performed on a model to acquire knowledge about the real system.

3D simulation is becoming increasingly important in the area of drive optimization. Multi-body simulation methods are used here to reproduce mechatronic systems as precisely as possible but without requiring excessive, time-consuming modeling work.

Do you have any questions?

Jürgen Dlugosch
Senior Product Manager I Baumüller Nürnberg GmbH

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