New Festo Family of Multi-Protocol Servo Drives Provides OEMs with Productivity and Cost Advantages
Festo introduces the CMMT MP family of multi-protocol servo drives. Every drive in this family is configurable as EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, PROFINET, and Modbus TCP. Using this single-family multi-protocol strategy, machine builders supporting multiple communications protocols can reduce servo-drive inventories. A unified drive family improves engineering productivity through familiarity with a single platform, simplifies tech support, and gains a robust supply chain for competitively priced servo drives. Festo showed the power of multi-protocol units by reducing its own part numbers from 24 to 8.
To choose the protocol for a CMMT multi-protocol servo drive, engineers log into the drive using the free online productivity tool Festo Automation Suite, select the protocol of choice from a drop-down menu, and configure the unit.
The Festo CMMT family includes CMMT-ST-MP compact DC servo drives. The drives are rated up to 300 W and are popular with builders that require a small, high quality, readily available drive. CMMT-AS-MP compact AC servo drives are rated up to 6 KW. Remarkably small 9- and 12-KW CMMT-AS-MP units are slated for sale later this year.
Festo’s development of CMMT MP drives presented the company with the opportunity to update internal electronics of CMMT units with the latest components. Current components are easier to obtain than older ones and help to eliminate supply-chain woes, as well as improving performance and reliability.
Regarding supply chain, Festo’s reduction to eight CMMT part numbers strengthened the company’s ability to support servo drives customers – less parts to inventory and fewer drives to manufacture and support. Machine builders welcome this move as servo drives across the industry remain in short supply and have long lead times.
Machine builders consolidating on CMMT MP drives gain the ability to cost effectively and more efficiently support their current and future customers as the North American market becomes more diversified in its applications of EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, PROFINET, and Modbus TCP.
Machine builders also find that procurement and engineering productivity go up with one all-inclusive family of servo drives and the advantages of Festo’s one-stop shop for motors, drives, actuators, and accessories. Plus, once engineers learn to configure one of these drives, they know how to configure them all.
With the Festo free online productivity tools Electric Motion Sizing and Handling Guide Online, machine builders can specify linear and multi-axis systems in minutes not hours. The Festo Automation Suite free online tool significantly shortens commissioning time. It also incorporates the CODESYS integrated development environment (IDE) for programming Festo modular controllers CPX-E-CEC. CMMT MP drives are backwards compatible with Classic CMMT servo drives including identical cabling and mounting.
For more information on CMMT MP drives and the advantages of working within the Festo ecosystem ‒ the ecosystem that leads to less engineering overhead, fast time to market, and seamless connectivity ‒ visit www.festo.com.
