Ethernet-based smart automation for drives and systems

The drive experts from Sprint Electric were controlling a DC motor 6000 miles away using an iPad and watching it live via webcam. Using drive.web, they were able to stop, start, and change the speed and direction of the DC motor and see the changes happen instantly.

The drive.web system includes graphical configuration tools that provide diagnostics and configurability of all drives on the network, either locally or remotely via the Internet. The graphical tools allow the full configuration of the drives, provide service diagnostics, full documentation and an operator interface for local control, all without the need for a PLC or supervisory computer. The graphical tools are part of the Savvy software suite which can be downloaded from our web site.

The Sprint Electric digital range of drives type PLX can become drive.web enabled by simply adding an easy to fit option board. Other drives, even simple analogue ones, can take advantage of the technology by using a separate stand alone DIN rail mounted drive.web module.

The drive.web hardware consists of an Ethernet port and processor that takes information dynamically from the drive and makes it available over the Ethernet network. Additional hardware includes interfaces to AC drives and remote I/O modules that provide increased access to the network for other control elements. The configuration software runs on the platform-independent Java operating system, therefore the control system will run on PCs, Macs and Linux based computers. The software provides graphical configuration and documentation tools for AC and DC drives, start-up / commissioning assistance with real time information from the drive and network and a very clean operator interface with dynamic access to machine information. The drive.web control technology is cost-effective in systems of any size and complexity, without the need for a PLC or supervisory computer.

Sprint Electric offers a wide range of DC motor control, with over 150 models covering both 1 phase and 3 phase, regenerative and non-regenerative DC motor applications, together with field controllers and digital slip ring motor controllers. Sprint Electric’s full range of products include analogue and digital DC drives from 12 up to 2250A. Whether in retrofits or original equipment, DC drives from Sprint Electric are being used in many different applications including metal processing, the pulp and paper industry, rubber and plastic processing, lifting equipment, food processing, leisure industries and many more.