Rockwell Automation Offers SMC Flex Motor Controller

Rockwell Automation Inc. (Milwaukee, WI) offered a new motor controller, the Allen-Bradley SMC Flex, with integrated I/O that offers improved monitoring and control capabilities to help users boost productivity and reduce maintenance time and costs. With two inputs and four outputs, the SMC Flex motor controller helps users control processes and monitor motor systems from the networked soft-starter, moving control of some industrial processes closer to the motor, lowering costs associated with wiring and programming. The motor controller was developed for a range of motor control applications, including conveyers, pumps, and chillers.

The controller's two inputs help improve process monitoring and provide greater access to diagnostic information to reduce maintenance costs and downtime. The four output devices enable users to extend control capabilities to other processes, reducing the burden on (or potentially the expense of) a separate programmable controller. The SMC Flex also features an internal bypass contactor, resulting in less heat and a smaller footprint than previous motor controllers, saving space and reducing maintenance and cooling needs due to ambient heat. Control modules, fans, and power poles are easy to maintain and replace, and the replaceable components save users from stocking full spare motor controllers, reducing total cost of ownership.