SMART MOTORS FOR SMART AGRI-BOTS

In order to cover the growing consumption of food worldwide, the available resources must be used as efficiently as possible. At the same time, fewer and fewer qualified skilled workers are available. For these reasons, there is an ever-increasing pressure towards autonomous systems.

For years, Dunkermotoren has been successfully offering series-proven drive concepts in the field of automation and robotics. Particular mention should be made here of the area of automated guided vehicles (AGV), which has grown strongly in recent years. Customers in the agricultural sector benefit from the existing know-how and easy adaptation to their own concepts. In addition to space-saving wheel drives, Dunkermotoren offers suitable products within the robotics application, e. g. for dosing, gripping, adjusting and positioning tasks.

This development calls for the use of smart electric motors with CANopen or Ethernet communication interfaces. The increasing networking of cloud-based platforms and decentralization of computing power are opening up completely new possibilities for manufacturers of agricultural technology. With the data provided by the motor, analysis and use is possible, which in logical consequence can extend to autonomously executed tasks. Under the umbrella brand nexofox, Dunkermotoren already offers various system solutions and services in the field of automation, networking and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). These include, on the one hand, the development of control programs on the motor itself via Page 2 PRESS RELEASE of Dunkermotoren GmbH in January 2022 MotionCode, but also cloud-based monitoring solutions, for example for entire drive fleets, naturally including the associated system integration. In addition to the development and integration of system solutions, nexofox also stands for holistic support and consulting from the initial project idea to the final implementation around the optimal operation of smart motors from Dunkermotoren. The basis for this was laid at Dunkermotoren several years ago with the introduction of the Motor Control Platform (MCP). The MCP represents a uniform software platform that enables all motors of the dPro and dMove series to be controlled and read out identically across all sizes.

Thus, the BLDC motors with integrated electronics are an essential part of the smart farming idea and enable resource-saving use in agriculture. The heart of an intelligent brushless DC motor is the integrated electronics. Here, the controller is completely integrated in the motor, which thus relieves or simplifies the customer's electronics. In addition to controlling the motor, the electronics can also perform tasks such as data monitoring. This enables precise evaluation of the travel paths. Furthermore, previously defined events can be monitored by the motor electronics, such as an increase in friction or wear. In this way, deviations are detected immediately and allow preventive measures to be taken to avoid downtime. Actual values in the field can be analyzed easily and conveniently. Due to the high power density, small electric motors with high efficiency can be used, whose energy requirements are correspondingly low. This not only conserves fuel consumption, but also relieves the strain on the vehicle electrical system, which in many cases is exhausted.

The integration of the electronics in the motor housing protects them from environmental influences, reduces the amount of cabling required and enables simple plug & play commissioning. Thanks to the robust design with a solid steel or aluminum housing and optional painting or coating, the entire drive train can achieve a protection class of up to IP69K.

With an output power of 4 to 5.000 W, at possible 12 VDC to 325 VDC supply voltage, Dunkermotoren covers a wide range of agricultural applications. Page 3 PRESS RELEASE of Dunkermotoren GmbH in January 2022 In addition to brushed and brushless DC motors, the product portfolio also includes linear drives, gearboxes, encoders and brakes, with which countless combination options can be realized as part of the modular system.

Whether robotics applications in animal husbandry, in tough field use or in other areas - Dunkermotoren enables flexible, robust and trend-setting solutions in agricultural technology.

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