Ball Mill

A large, rotating drum filled with steel balls used to pulverize rock or ore in preparation for mineral extraction or processing.

Fast Facts

Required Drive Features

Digital I/O

Each application has specific requirements for I/O. Digital I/O is generally used to control the drive (Start, Stop, Jog, etc.) and annunciate the drive status.
Requires: A drive that offers sufficient I/O and needed flexibility to perform all required func¬tions.

Applications that require rapid deceleration or quick stops can regenerate energy back to the drive. A dynamic brake dissipates this energy through a resistor as heat.
Requires: A drive that has an internal DB chopper and connectable resistor or has an external DB kit.

Dynamic Response

High performance applications often demand nearly instant response to changes in speed or torque commands or input status changes. The higher the dynamic response, the more capable the drive is in meeting these demands.
Requires: A drive that meets the response demands.

Overload Torque

Applications may require varying degrees of overload capacity for starting, accelerating, or intermittent duty. This overload capacity must be supplied by the drive as current and by the motor as torque.
Requires: A drive that has sufficient overload capacity.

Slip Compensation

A squirrel-cage motor slips under load. To compensate for this, the frequency can be increased as the motor torque increases.
Requires: A drive that provides adjustable slip compensation.

Speed Range (10:1)

All applications operate over a given speed range, defined as the ratio of maximum continuous speed to minimum continuous speed.
Requires: A drive that can produce the needed torque and speed torque regulation (accuracy) over the required speed range.

Motor Control Type

Sensorless Vector (SV)

Sensorless Vector is a motor control method that is often used to maximize torque production in the motor for loads that have significant overload requirements. It is NOT a torque control (regulation) method. This algorithm maintains a constant magnetizing (flux) current from zero to base motor speed. The output voltage is increased proportional to load. Automatic or manual tuning identifies key motor parameters including IR drop and nominal flux current, allowing automatic voltage boost at low speeds proper flux current maintenance.
Requires: A drive that offers this motor control method when torque production must be maximized.

Regulation Type

Speed

Applications that depend on accurate speed to accomplish the task require a drive that can control or 'regulate' speed.
Requires: A drive that regulates speed to the needed accuracy. Methods include open loop, slip compensation and encoder feedback.