Integrated CNC technologies to offer real-time machine control capabilities

By OEM Update Editorial February 1, 2022 5:36 pm IST

We supply automation solutions to OEMs and end users across a wide range of industrial sectors, from packaging to textiles to rubber and plastics to printing.

Prospects about Inovance automation technology. 

Inovance is becoming a big brand in Indian industrial automation. Our aim is to become a market leader, and we’re striving for that by putting down firm Indian foundations. This has already included opening a national network of sales offices across the country, and recruiting a large local team of sales, product management and research & development engineers based in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and several other major Indian cities. 

Ultimately, the reason Inovance is so well placed to succeed is simple: we have a reputation for top quality products backed up by the strongest engineering expertise and customer support. 

Please walk us through the product portfolio offered by Inovance. 

Inovance is a complete ‘one-stop-shop’ industrial automation solutions provider. Our portfolio includes: LV & MV AC drives, motion control, PLCs, HMIs, CNCs and industrial robots. We supply OEMs and end users across a wide range of industrial sectors, from packaging to textiles to rubber and plastics to printing. We also supply the special purpose machinery segment. For example, during Covid-19, we’ve been delivering full automation solutions for face mask manufacturing machinery, and we have worked with over 140 OEM face mask customers across Asia. 

Inovance offers an industrial automation control solution that delivers full CNC control, could you elaborate a bit more on it? 

Inovance’s CNC division has more than 20 years’ experience at PC-based CNC technology. The CNC solution is based on an open IPC platform and uses EtherCAT fieldbus for realtime machine communication. The technology is designed to deliver maximum openness and has the flexibility to be applied to any industrial application. Since acquiring German CNC Company Power Automation in 2018, Inovance has invested significantly in R&D across Europe and Asia. The goal has been to increase the performance, functionality and flexibility of its flagship CNC products, particularly the PA9000. That’s why Inovance’s CNC today offers a state-of-the-art path algorithm hosted on a real time operating system. The Inovance CNC can also be integrated with Inovance’s market-leading servo package to offer real-time machine control capabilities. 

Inovance’s CNC solution for laser and milling machines offers all components and functions for easy machine setup, your views. 

The Inovance difference comes out of the long term relationships we form with our customers, and particularly with their application teams. These relationships allow us to develop bespoke functions that fit the specific needs of customers’ laser cutting and milling applications. Inovance offers a perfectly suited solution of hardware and software for all kinds of milling and routing machines. The advantage of using Inovance’s CNC solution for milling machines is their high performance, easy operation and fast integration. We are a one stop shop for all your CNC requirements. 

With respect to SCARA robots or 6-axis robots, what prospects do you envision about industrial robots launching in India? 

There is no denying that industrial robots are all set to change the way things are done in the industries in which they are being implemented. This applies as much in India as it does anywhere else. And the Indian industrial robot market is growing fast. Broadly speaking, the benefits to robot users are improved efficiency, reduced production line downtime, and higher manufacturing quality. 

At the moment, a key trend in the market is for robots that are lightweight, and flexible enough to perform multiple tasks, while guaranteeing reliability and a safe environment for workers. Because of industrial robots’ fast progress in the Indian market; I see a lot of employment (and entrepreneurship) opportunities for people in the robot field. For me, this is one of the most positive things about the sector today. 

Going forward, there are many emerging technologies that will be incorporated into industrial robots. Perhaps one of the most exciting will be machine learning, which will ultimately allow robots to mimic human intelligence and facilitate many tasks that currently only humans can perform. 

I often get asked, ‘what makes INOVANCE robots DIFFERENT?’The answer is that we don’t just make the robot; we make all the components ourselves too. We hold patents on a huge variety of robot components and systems, including ball screws, encoders, simulation torque control methods, and systems oriented to zero-force control. Building our robots from the ground up means we can ensure that every component is designed with our robot in mind, guaranteeing the highest possible performance. We offer a huge variety of SCARA robots, from 3 kg models with 300 mm arm lengths, to 20 kg models with arms of 2,300 mm., as well as a variety of peripherals, such as vision products. 

Range of industrial automation products at the control, drive, execution, and sensing layers available in the market? 

Motion controllers: 3axes to 256 axes, synchronous control, fieldbuses include EtherCAT, CANopen, CANlink, and PROFIBUS 

PLCs : point-to-point control 

HMIs: 4.3”, 7”, 10”, 15” 

AC Drives: voltage class – 220 V, 380 V, 480 V, 690 V, 1140 V, 3 kV, 6 kV, 10 kV 

Power Rating – 

• Low voltage industrial AC drives: 0.4 kW to 5.6 MW 
• Medium-voltage AC drives: 270 kVA to 30 MVA. 

Servo Products 

• Servo drives – 
• Voltage class: 220 V/380 V 
• Power rating: 0.05 kW to 110 kW. 
• Servo motors – 
• Rated torque: 0.3 Nm to 10,500 Nm 
• Rated speed: 50 RPM to 3,000 RPM. and IoT Products. 

Specific characteristics of the recently launched MD800 AC multidrive by Inovance Europe. 

Our MD800 AC multidrive is designed to meet the needs of OEMs forever more flexible and scalable multidrive performance in an ever more compact footprint. MD800’s modular design enables up to 8 drives to be supplied from one rack with a single rectifier, sharing energy through the common DC bus. The product offers comprehensive functionality including an individual STO (safe torque off) on each drive, the ability to control PM and induction motors from a single software package, a +24 VDC control backup supply, and a full range of fieldbus and I/O expansion option cards. 

Additionally, MD800 is highly cost-effective, and also offers a significantly reduced total cost of ownership. Installation costs in particular are slashed as a result of user-friendly pluggable, spring type connectors, and a faster build time due to reduced wiring and fewer external components. The product is also designed to operate in the harshest of industrial environments with 3C3 and 3S2 conformal coating, an operating temperature range of -20 to +60oC, an operating altitude of up to 4,000 metres, and a separate cooling channel for the heatsink. 

Inovance offers industry-specific drive and control systems for strategic customers, could you mention a few such industries. Metal products and cables, Lithium-ion batteries, Printing & packaging, Metallurgy— hot and cold steel rolling, Cranes, Chemicals, Power plants, Oil & gas, Pulp & paper, Rubber & plastics, Textiles (weaving, spinning, winding, doubling, and twisting), Injection moulding, Bending machines, Air compressors, Wind power, Machine tools, HVAC, including vehicle air conditioning and Construction materials industries etc. 

Future expansion strategy and plans by Inovance. 

Inovance has ambitious plans to continue expanding our sales and presence throughout India. Our goal is simple: to become one of the top industrial automation suppliers in the country.