With its separate power unit and Control Unit, the SINAMICS S120 drive system can be perfectly adapted to a wide variety of different drive tasks.

The Control Unit is selected according to the number of drives to be controlled and the required performance level, while the power unit must be rated to meet the energy requirements of the system. The connection between the Control Unit and power unit is made very simply using the DRIVE-CLiQ digital system interface.

The following drive units are available in chassis format:

• Power Modules
• Basic Line Modules
• Smart Line Modules (only available in the air-cooled version)
• Active Line Modules
• Active Interface Modules
• Motor Modules

Power Modules

The simplest version of a SINAMICS S120 drive system comprises a CU310‑2 Control Unit and a Power Module.

In Power Modules specifically designed for single-motor drives without regenerative feedback into the line supply, the line-side infeed and the motor-side power unit are combined in one unit.

Generated energy produced during braking is converted to heat in braking resistors.

The Control Unit is plugged onto the Power Module; in addition to the complete control intelligence, the Control Unit also has all the drive interfaces for communication with higher-level systems and interfacing of add-on components.

Line Modules

Line Modules contain the central line infeed for the DC link. Various Line Modules can be selected to address the various application profiles:

• Basic Line Modules
• Smart Line Modules
• Active Line Modules

Basic Line Modules

Basic Line Modules are designed only for infeed operation, i.e. they are not capable of recovering energy to the line supply. If regenerative energy is produced, e.g. when drives brake, it must be converted into heat using a Braking Module and a braking resistor.
A line filter can be optionally installed in order to ensure compliance with the limits stipulated for Category C2 in EN 61800‑3.

Smart Line Modules

Smart Line Modules can supply energy and return regenerative energy to the supply system. A Braking Module and braking resistor are required only if the drives need to be decelerated in a controlled manner after a power failure (i.e. when energy cannot be recovered to the supply). For an infeed using a Smart Line Module, the appropriate line reactor is required.
A line filter can be optionally installed in order to ensure compliance with the limits stipulated for Category C2 in EN 61800‑3.

Active Line Modules

Active Line Modules can supply energy and return regenerative energy to the supply system. A Braking Module and braking resistor are required only if the drives need to be decelerated in a controlled manner after a power failure (i.e. when energy cannot be recovered to the supply).

In contrast to Basic Line Modules and Smart Line Modules, Active Line Modules generate a controlled DC voltage that is kept constant despite fluctuations in the line supply voltage if the line supply voltage fluctuates within the permitted tolerance range. Active Line Modules in combination with an Active Interface Module draw a virtually sinusoidal current from the supply system. Almost no harmonics occur. The total harmonic distortion factors of current THD(I) and voltage THD(U) are typically in the range of approx. 3 %. The stringent limit values of IEEE 519 (2014) are complied with. All of the components necessary to operate an Active Line Module are integrated in the Active Interface Module.
A line filter can be optionally installed in order to ensure compliance with the limits stipulated for Category C2 in EN 61800‑3.

Motor Modules

A voltage DC link and a converter for supplying a motor are integrated in the Motor Module.

Motor Modules are designed for multi-axis drive systems and are controlled by either a CU320‑2 or a SIMOTION D Control Unit. Motor Modules are interconnected through the DC link.

One or several Motor Modules are supplied with energy for the motors via the DC link. Both synchronous and induction motors can be operated.

Since the Motor Modules share the same DC link, they can exchange energy with one another, i.e. if one Motor Module operating in generator mode produces energy, the energy can be used by another Motor Module operating in motor mode. The DC link is supplied with line supply voltage by a Line Module.

Control Units

The control intelligence for all the drive axes integrated in the multi-axis group is combined in the Control Units. They also feature drive-related inputs/outputs and interfaces for communicating with higher-level controllers. Control Units are available with different ranges of functions and with different performance levels.

System components

The structure of the drive system is defined by selecting the Control Unit and Power Module or Line Module and Motor Modules. The additional components provided allow optimum adaptation of the drive system to the application.

These components are subdivided into:

• Line-side components, e.g. line reactors and line filters
• DC link components e.g. Braking Modules and braking resistors
• Motor-side components, e.g. motor reactors and dv/dt filters plus VPL, sine-wave filters
• Supplementary system components, e.g. Terminal Modules, Operator Panels, and Communication Boards
• Encoder system interface for connecting various encoder types to SINAMICS S120

DRIVE‑CLiQ – the digital interface between the components

SINAMICS S120 components, including motors and encoders, are equipped with the high-performance DRIVE‑CLiQ system interface.
Line and Motor Modules for example are connected to the Control Unit – and Terminal Modules and Sensor Modules to the drive system via DRIVE‑CLiQ – simply and efficiently. Motors that also have this interface can be directly connected to the drive system.

Converter boards (Sensor Modules) for converting standard encoder signals to DRIVE‑CLiQ are available for third-party motors or retrofit applications.

The electronic rating plate

An important digital linkage element of the SINAMICS S120 drive system are the electronic rating plates integrated in every component. They allow all drive components to be automatically identified via the DRIVE‑CLiQ link.

The electronic rating plate contains all the relevant technical data about that particular component. In addition to the technical data, the rating plate includes logistical data (manufacturer ID, article number and ID). Since this data can be called up electronically on site or remotely, all the components used in a machine can always be individually identified, which helps simplify servicing.

Coated modules

The following devices are equipped as standard with coated modules:

• Blocksize format units
• Booksize format units
• Chassis format units
• Control Units
• Sensor Modules
• Terminal Modules
• Advanced Operator Panel (AOP30)

The coating on the modules protects the sensitive SMD components against corrosive gases, chemically active dust and moisture.

Nickel-plated busbars

All of the copper busbars used are nickel-plated in order to achieve the best possible immunity to environmental effects. Furthermore, there is no need to clean the contacts on the customer terminals as otherwise required for bare copper connections.

Note:

For some components, parts of the copper busbars cannot be nickel-plated for technical reasons.