Drive Intelligence for servo pumps

The servo pump solution from the Nuremberg-based drive and automation specialist Baumüller is an intelligent and energy-efficient drive system e.g. for presses and injection mold machines. With the new V2+ software package, Baumüller now offers more intelligent functions for process monitoring and process optimization. Thanks to years of intensive collaboration with mechanical engineers, Baumüller is able with its serve pump solution to significantly reduce the energy requirements of machines and systems, enabling relatively short cycle times with very low noise development and a high level of process precision. The combination of hydraulic power transmission together with the electric servo drive technology offer many advantages. The servo drive can optionally be adjusted for significantly optimized overall system effectiveness as compared to a purely hydraulic solution and for greater energy efficiency. Other positive secondary effects include improved process performance and low heat development.

Process reliability and process optimization with new V2+ servo pump software

The controller-integrated servo pump software is now available in a new, expanded version. The new software package for V2+ servo pumps offers new features especially in the areas of process monitoring, process optimization and process reliability.

With the feature for speed monitoring and slip speed compensation, service can now be planned: The leakage characteristic of the system is monitored, initiated by the machine controller. The speed is automatically readjusted as needed so that the machine continues running in the optimal range. If the leakage increases as the pump ages and a measurement value outside the tolerance is detected, the system returns an error message. The operator is thus informed automatically, enabling a pump change at the right time, which prevents downtimes and improves process quality.

Pressure sensor monitoring is another new feature that ensures process quality and prevents downtimes. As pressure sensors age, they become less accurate, so the sensor values are first optimized and then a sensor change will be indicated as inaccuracy increases. Pressure sensors also typically have a tendency towards zero drift, i.e. they indicate that there is pressure in the system when this is not the case. Pulsating alternating pressures arising in the servo pump system can cause damage to the pump. In this case, the converter would receive the incorrect information that pressure still needs to be reduced and would rotate the motor in the wrong direction. With the pressure sensor monitoring software feature, such a false response is avoided, thus preventing damage to the pump.

Many processes that use servo pumps require long pressure hold times, e.g. with injection molding machines when the shape has to be maintained. This increases the risk of a thermal overload and thus early pump wear and tear. With the temperature model in the V2+ servo pump software, the thermal pump load is calculated from speed and pressure. Upon reaching a critical threshold value, a bypass valve can be connected, for example, to prevent overheating.

The V2+ software version also includes the acceleration limitation function. This ensures a soft yet highly dynamic control mode and thus minimizes wear and tear on the machine.

The intelligent control algorithm for adjusting to different rates of increasing pressure was already integrated with the previous software version. With this feature, parameterization only has to be set once and the adjustment occurs automatically. The software enables an overshoot-free pressure jump in minimum time, thus ensuring an optimized process sequence.

These servo pump features are integrated directly into the controller as an order option and are available on the servo controllers of the b maXX 3300 family and on the mono units and the side-by-side system of the b maXX 5000 family.