A new compact drive with integrated CAN bus control

From track to track more efficiency in agricultural technology In order to optimize the dosage of the fertiliser or the seeds, KAG has developed a new drive with integrated CAN bus control. Meanwhile, the combination of motor and gearbox with integrated electronics has successfully passed all testing phases. Currently, the pilot series is in the field test. Thus, a KAG DC motor with a universal multi-master field bus system is available for the first time, where the software can be adapted individually for each manufacturer with little effort – and this motor thrills with many other advantages. Today, newest technologies allow an ever faster and more and more efficient work in the agricultural sector. KAG supports this progress with drives that are already established in the international agricultural technology and works with full stretch on innovative developments in order to accelerate work processes and to reduce the energy demand at the same time. Custom-made solution “Our current project is about a gear motor with integrated CAN bus control, which is responsible for the efficient dosing of the seeds in a singe-grain sowing machine”, explains Andreas Schwerdtfeger, graduate engineer and developer at Kählig Antriebstechnik GmbH. “The objective is that the work tool puts the grain of seed on the field to the exact position within a very short time.” This automation process is carried out by evaluation of sensors and by special (motor) software, which communicates with the superordinated “job computers”. “What is special about our new gear motor with i42DC is that the integrated CAN bus control is based on the international standardised protocol EN 50325-4, and that we can integrate customer requests into the software. In this way, besides the custom-made motor (+gear) solution with, for instance, a high IP protection and/or stainless steel shaft, further possibilities for the adaptation to customer requirements are available.” This universal electronics, serving as an interface, can be adapted by means of Software modifications to the customizable control of each manufacturer. Thus, the seed placement on the field becomes significantly more precise, fast and efficient. Simple assembly tanks to Plug and Play “Another big advantage of the electrification in agricultural machinery for this project is, besides the precise approach to each individual seed row, the modular fixation by ‘Plug and Play'”. “The drive can be assembled to the customer’s application directly out of the shipping box: push in the plug and get started! Previous hydraulic motors could contaminate the ground with oil in the event of a fault. In case that an electrical motor should ever fail, a simple exchange is a matter of minutes. Our drives have a very high quality and thus are extremely reliable. We set ourselves apart by the precise manufacturing of individual components, and so we realise a high accuracy of fit of the components, which supports the function of sealing elements and so protects the motor against the penetration of water”, tells Schwerdtfeger. The corrosion resistance, which is already very high (for example, motor housings are not chromed but realised in cathodic dip painting (CDP)) can still be increased by varnishing upon customer request. Features of the Controller Area Network electronics at a glance: CAN and CANopen interface 5 I/O channels Integrated absolute value transmitter Up to 3 configurable analogue inputs Up to 4 configurable digital outputs Up to 3 configurable digital inputs Speed and position control Incremental encoder output with selectable resolution Quadcount pulse input for high-frequency signal Customer-specific firmware Control via bus, analogue or by PWM IP67 option for motor assembly Reverse polarity protection 4-Q operation For further information feel free to contact us: Kählig Antriebstechnik GmbH Pappelweg 4 30179 Hannover phone: +49 511 6 74 93-0 fax: +49 511 6 74 93-67 info@kag-hannover.de PDF-Download: KAG Webnews 0001 Agriculture