Success Story:
Industrial pumps
Customised drive solution for industrial pumps
For a manufacturer in the field of server cooling, INRO developed a tailored control solution for driving a pump inside a server. The challenge was to create a compact and durable solution for a very tight installation space while taking into account project-specific requirements and specifications from the UL environment. Since standard solutions could not adequately cover the special features of the pump motor used, the customer and INRO decided on a custom new development. The result is a space-saving drive control with a high capability for integration and a service life of 50,000 hours.
- Custom control solution for a pump drive in server cooling
- Complete redesign for a specific pump motor
- Compact and space-saving design
- Dimensions: 134 mm x 134 mm x 40 mm
- Weight: 560 g
- 48V system
- Versatile I/Os for integrating additional functions
- Conformity to EN 61800, UL 61800, CE, cULus, RoHS, REACH, EMC
The SMC is designed for various machine drives and is suitable for, among other things, travel or pump drives. In the present project, the control system for the pump drive was implemented within a
servers. In precisely such applications, a compact design, reliability and good system integration are particularly crucial. INRO develops electronic solutions both for vehicles in harsh operating environments and for industrial pumps in protected environments.
- Space-saving design: ideal for applications with very limited installation space
- Long service life: designed for a service life of 50,000 hours
- Individual design: tailored precisely to the customer-specific requirements
- Seamless integration: good integration into the customer's existing system architecture
- Additional features: further functions can be ideally integrated into the customer system
- Versatility: suitable for various engine types and different machine applications
The project
in detail
In this development project, the customer's requirements were to develop an efficient drive controller that can be used reliably and with a long service life in a small installation space. The controller is used for the pump drives of a server cooling system. The overriding objective was for the drive controller to optimally control the motor designed by the company itself.
In this project too, we at INRO maintained an intensive and direct dialogue with the customer in order to optimally adapt the product to the existing system and the requirements. In this case, the aim was to find out how the drive control system had to be designed in order to utilise the existing motor in the best possible way.
During development, care was also taken to ensure that the manufacturing process was as cost-effective as possible. This enabled the customer to be presented with an attractive offer for the production of the drive control unit.
The result of this development was the SMC (Single Motion Control) - a single-axis drive controller weighing just 560 g and with a service life of over 50,000 hours. With its compact dimensions of 134 mm × 134 mm × 40 mm, it fits perfectly into the planned installation space.
The newly developed drive control can ideally control the existing motor, as well as other motor types such as asynchronous motors, synchronous reluctance motors and brushless DC motors. The Single Motion Control also has an integrated DC/DC converter (48 V / 24 V), an integrated charging circuit and various inputs and outputs, both digital and analogue. The drive control is certified in accordance with UL 61800-5-1 and IEC 61800-5-1. In addition, the drive controller already has an integrated heat sink.
Even during the development phase of one year, prototypes of the control system were made available to the customer with the help of modern 3D printers. After delivery of the controls, we continued to support the customer during commissioning and testing of the controls.
SMC
The Single Motion Controller (SMC) is a 1-axis drive controller. It offers a large number of I/Os for reading sensors and setpoint transmitters as well as for setting outputs and switching loads. This enables you to operate all types of machines with a drive, such as travelling or pump drives, efficiently, reliably and safely.
The SMC enables:
- Control of various motor types, such as ASM, SRM, BLDC, etc. (also sensorless)
- Nominal battery voltage 48 V DC
- Input voltage range +25 V..+59 V
- Various bus systems for communication such as CAN bus or MODBUS implemented
- Conformity to CE, cULus, RoHS, REACH, EMC
- Long service life with 50,000 h
- Weight 560 g
Conclusion
With this project, INRO demonstrates how demanding drive tasks can be reliably solved even under tight constraints. A tailor-made control solution was created for the server cooling manufacturer, which precisely controls the customer-specific pump motor, integrates seamlessly into the system architecture, and simultaneously meets key requirements regarding installation space and service life. The combination of a compact design, high reliability, and bespoke development makes the solution a strong example of precisely tailored drive technology.
