DRF is the name of the new digital concept drive designed by Mini Motor that takes the technology of the DR range to a higher level, perfecting it for applications in the food&beverage field.
If there is one aspect shared by anyone who considers innovation to be their professional mission, it is never being totally satisfied, never feeling like you’ve made it and continuing to work hard to achieve new forms and new paths towards progress.
In this panorama, Mini Motor is certainly no exception. In fact, it could probably teach others a thing or two.
Innovation applied to technology and invention comes in lots of different forms that the company has brought to the world of automation and motion control over the years.
There is one that probably describes this approach better than others: the DR Series of sensorless integrated drives that elevate the standard Mini Motor gear motors on the market to smart all-in-one solutions, a perfectly integrated combination of MOTOR, GEAR UNIT AND DRIVE.
Despite this, Mini Motor has no intention of sitting back and contemplating a job well done, but has decided to re-examine it and continue to improve it, in order to achieve something even more unique and excellent.
It is called the DRF and it is the concept of a new digital drive designed for application to the Clean Series of three-phase asynchronous motors up to 270 watt.
The principle guiding the design of this drive is the same as the DR range, controlling the speed of motors and gear motors using sensorless vector control, but its distinguishing feature that will take it to a new level is IP67 certification, a superior seal compared to the IP65 of the DR Series.
The DRF will be built according to the guidelines dictated by the E.H.E.D.G. – the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group – for the design of machinery for use in the food industry, including rounded edges and flush-mounted screws; its obvious intended uses are the food&beverage sector and all applications demanding an IP67 certified seal.
In practical terms, the build specifications of the DRF will make it ideal for applications involving frequent and aggressive washes, or for working fully submerged.
When it is fitted on the motors it was designed for, namely the ACF, MCF, PCF and PAF, Mini Motor customers will achieve considerable simplification of the management of equipment, allowing them to control the speed of the motors using a single interchangeable device that can be applied to the different machine axes.
This will make the DRF the optimum choice for manufacturers subject to compliance with food hygiene standards, such as producers of oil or wine, jams and preserves, fruit juices and the food industry in general.
Mechanical engineer, Alessandro Ciccolella, from the Technical Office at Mini Motor, described how the idea was first conceived and the project was developed for the digital drive: “The strategic path first traced with the creation of the DR series has become final and supported by results, the study of the concept of the DRF drive can therefore be considered the natural development for Mini Motor in this direction.
More and more customers working in many new fields will, therefore, have the opportunity to go and update their fleet of motors and bring it in line, in terms of the components and their efficiency, with the consolidated principle of total integration.”
www.minimotor.com
