Plug-in machine controller

The Mint Machine Module plugs into a hardware expansion slot in any of Baldor’s MotiFlex range of Powerlink-compatible three-phase AC motor drives. This controller module allows machine builders to eliminate the need for a separate external network controller, along with all of the cabling and panel space that would normally be required.

Two variations of the card are offered: a dual-axis version that will control the host Powerlink drive plus another external drive via a conventional analog interface, or a high-speed version that will also act as a Powerlink network controller to manage a complete multi-axis control system. Both options are compatible with Baldor’s Mint motion language.

Plugging a controller into the drive itself still provides machine builders with flexibility of control system architecture, as the drive can be used as a standalone intelligent automation solution, as a distributed element of a larger Powerlink network or as a complete multi-axis motion control system that operates autonomously.

The basic dual-axis version of the card provides a complete standalone motion control solution with the possibility of local I/O and HMI.

If the motion control requirements are more sophisticated, the multi-axis version of the card will also act as a Powerlink network controller, powerful enough to control five axes of interpolated motion: the host drive itself, three other Powerlink-connected drives, plus another drive via the analog interface.