At Automate in Detroit, SEW Eurodrive showcased its DR2C, an energy-efficient IE-5 rated motor that can be deployed in manufacturing and packaging applications.

Engineered with sustainability in mind, the company says the DR2C can assist machine builders in reducing both energy usage and operating costs.

“Our new DR2C motors have a very wide speed range, we cover one revolution per minute (RPM) to 3,000 RPM with full torque,” said Eder Matias, director of sales – drives, control, and automation at SEW Eurodrive, during an interview with Packaging OEM.

It features Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) technology to increase torque density and provides easy integration through modular compatibility with SEW gearmotors and other equipment.

“That helps people designing the packaging lines, because it covers a much wider speed range, full torque, power density, lower temperature, and higher overload as well,” said Matias.

Energy-efficiency features in a small frame

Featuring an IE5 rating, the highest classification for motor efficiency, SEW Eurodrive says the DR2C can deliver up to 50% less energy compared to standard IE3 motors.

“If you have a motor that has a higher overload capacity, then you can go with a smaller motor for continuous movement than you normally would,” explained Jeremy McCullough, SEW Eurodrive’s senior corporate electronic product and application engineer. “You end up with a smaller package, and it ends up being more efficient because motors are typically the most efficient when they’re fully loaded.”

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According to SEW Eurodrive, the DR2C reduces heat generation, which can extend service life.

Magnet technology and its use in packaging

Built with magnets inside the rotor, the DR2C can provide high torque in a small, lightweight framework. SEW added that its low mass and inertia improve acceleration and dynamic response.

“Power density is a big thing. It’s a permanent magnet servo motor, so it has a lot of density in a smaller package than you would normally have with a typical asynchronous motor,” said McCullough.

According to SEW Eurodrive, the motor works with frequency inverters for speed and soft starts, and is designed for variable-speed applications, like packaging and conveyance systems. Matias added that the IE5 motors are frequently used for infeed and outfeed packaging applications.

“These are motors often running at continuous speeds, and that’s where you see a higher benefit of using the IE5 motors,” said Matias.

Integration and modular compatibility

The DR2C is designed to easily integrate within SEW Eurodrive’s existing control platform.

“From the SEW perspective, it can be controlled just like any other motor, or any other servo motor [or] asynchronous motor,” said McCullough.

Machine builders can directly mount SEW gearmotors on the system using the company’s modular automation system.

“That means I can add a working brake, I can have an inverter mounted to it, I can have different types of encoders. I can do single-cable technology. These are all key benefits that OEMs would have by using our new DR2C motors,” said Matias.

Digital capabilities

Also demonstrated at Automate was SEW’s MOVILINK DDI, a digital motor interface that uses a single coaxial data cable.

“It’s a technology developed by SEW that allows us to do automatic motor startups. We can do condition monitoring too,” said Matias.

The cable provides compact installation and a fully integrated digital motor encoder.

“It’s easy to install,” Matias said. “At the end of the day, you have your machine running at a much faster speed. It’s much quicker than the traditional way of doing things.” 

Learn more

To discover SEW Eurodrive’s motor solutions, including the DR2C, click here.

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