Beckhoff Automation has expanded its motion control portfolio with the launch of the AF1000 series economy variable frequency drives (VFDs), offering a new option for controlling industrial motors within its automation ecosystem.
According to Beckhoff Automation Australia, the launch marks the company’s entry into the VFD market and aims to address demand for cost-effective motor control solutions across industrial applications.
Harry Mulder, Motion Product Specialist at Beckhoff Automation Australia, said the addition would allow customers to integrate drives with the company’s existing control, input/output (I/O) and TwinCAT technologies.
“Importantly, EtherCAT connectivity comes as standard rather than being an optional extra, giving customers the opportunity to source more of their automation architecture from a single, trusted supplier,” Mulder said.
The AF1000 series is designed to support a range of motor types, including asynchronous, synchronous and reluctance motors. Mulder said the drives could accommodate about 90 per cent of motor types on the market, with induction motors representing a key application due to their widespread use in industrial facilities.
The range also includes dual-axis models, allowing two motors to be connected to one drive while maintaining independent control. According to Beckhoff, this configuration can reduce equipment costs, maintenance requirements, control panel space and installation complexity.
The drives feature one output and seven inputs, including a temperature sensor input, allowing field signals to connect directly to the unit. The range also supports integration with Beckhoff’s PC-based control systems and TwinCAT engineering environment.
Safety options include configurations without integrated safety, with Functional Safety over EtherCAT (FSoE), or with FSoE combined with hardwired safety. Supported functions include Safe Torque Off (STO) and Safe Stop 1 (SS1), which enables controlled deceleration before the drive enters the safe torque-off state.
Beckhoff said the AF1000 series is intended for cost-sensitive applications across areas including material handling, packaging and building automation.
Mulder said the launch would give customers another option for keeping motion control and automation functions within the Beckhoff ecosystem while meeting requirements for economical variable-speed motor control.
