New pickup - large amount of energy in a small size
Product innovation: Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG has presented an innovative solution for contactless energy transfer for the packaging machine industry: the vPOWER U015 Pickup. The system enables the moving elements, also known as movers, of packaging machines to be continuously supplied with electrical energy inductively.
In this way, customer applications can achieve higher process performance than if the power had to be transmitted via complex alternative solutions. The vPOWER U015 pickup is a standard solution that can be integrated into various machines. The first systems were realized with the so-called iTRAK from the US company Rockwell Automation, Inc. Other well-known companies are also already interested in the VAHLE solution.
"With the vPOWER U015 Pickup, we are enabling the packaging industry to significantly increase its production volumes. In addition, the complexity of the energy supply can be reduced and robustness increased," says Marc Detweiler, Product Manager at Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. Contactless energy transmission allows the movers installed in the machines to reach top speeds that cannot be achieved with conventional power transmission systems. With conventional transmission methods such as conductor rails, high speeds cause strong friction between the carbon and copper. This can cause wear to the power supply or, in sensitive sectors such as the food industry, damage to the products being packaged. Selective inductive charging also reduces the production volume, as it can only be carried out when the system is at a standstill.
The new VAHLE pick-up works like a transformer: the primary winding consists of a power cable that is wound around the packaging machine. It generates a permanent, 45A high-frequency current. The secondary winding is located on the mobile pickup and absorbs the energy inductively. There is no risk of wear on the cable and there are no open contacts that could lead to interference from dirt or water.
The maximum output of the new VAHLE pickup is 150W and a voltage of 24VDC. The vPOWER U015 pickup is only 67.4 x 67.4 x 71 mm in size and weighs just 650 g. "VAHLE is the first supplier to deliver a system for the inductive transmission of such an amount of energy in this small size and with this low weight," says Detweiler.
So far, VAHLE has installed the system in four test installations for customers in the packaging machine sector. These include the iTRAK from Rockwell Automation, Inc. Michaela R. Kaufmann, Global Product Manager for iTRAK systems at Rockwell Automation, Inc. describes the solution as a perfect match. "The new VAHLE Pickup extends the unlimited flexibility of our technology by adding power to individual movers." In principle, the vPOWER U015 pickup is suitable for almost all systems, as long as good mechanical guidance is available.
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