The Allen-Bradley ArmorStart ST distributed motor controllers with integrated safety is designed to be mounted directly on a machine, to allow users to implement functional safety with fewer components.
The ArmorStart ST with integrated safety is a networked safety enabled On-Machine system designed to integrate into Allen-Bradley Logix controllers and programmed using Studio 5000 software. Using one network via EtherNet/IP and one software tool should help streamline light and heavy industry applications, according to the company.
The ArmorStart ST motor controllers are made to offer safety ratings of up to PLe/SIL3 and Cat 4. They also have built-in safe torque-off, which is meant to remove rotational power to the motor but not the drive. This can help keep workers safe and improve uptime by allowing for faster start-ups after safety demands are made. This is also meant to reduce wear caused by repetitive start-ups.
ArmorStart products are made for food and beverage and automotive applications, like conveying and material handling, where minimizing downtime is critical. The ArmorStart ST motor controllers with integrated safety are designed with automatic device configuration to help maximize uptime and lower mean time to repair.
The motor controllers are made to require no additional enclosure near the motor or machine, enabling shorter cable runs. And when combined with other machine-mounted products, they should be able to reduce design, commissioning, and installation costs, says the company.
