In today's consumer market, the expectations are "ordered today - delivered tomorrow". Thanks to the convenient order possibilities via online shops, this thinking is no longer sounds of the future but common practice. Another trend is developing toward customizing the product of one's own choice. Thanks to configuration and modular systems, this is also possible without any problems today.

To achieve this flexibility in production and the required speed in the supply chain, sophisticated logistics concepts are necessary, which can take on many forms.

One part of this is the intralogistics. This does not mean the transport from factory to factory, but the transport within a production facility, a warehouse or even a parcel distribution center for direct shipment to the customer.

In general, the following tasks fall within the process landscape of intralogistics:

  »  The transportation of components within a flexible production line
  »  The collection of products from a warehouse for direct shipment
  »  The transport for storage and retrieval of components from a high-bay warehouse
  »  Sorting and arranging packages for onward transport or delivery

All these functions were formerly used to be performed manually by employees. With the rise of bar codes, laser scanners, and LIDAR sensors, autonomous transport equipment, service robots, and high-speed sortation systems have gradually taken over these tasks.

The requirements for the various means of transport are quite comparable. They move autonomously and independent of location, in some cases they even move free navigating. This requires that the vehicle has a certain "intelligence" on the one hand and, on the other hand, that it is battery-powered. When sorting and ordering parcels, the most important thing is fast and precise movements to reliably guide the move of the parcels. The interaction and communication between reading units, controllers and actuators is essential here.

These requirements lead to a number of questions: Which motor solutions can be used? Which motors offer high efficiency and thus longer battery life? Which motors offer safety functions and which are compact in their design?

There is one simple answer to these questions: Motor solutions from Bonndorf in the Black Forest – motor solutions from Dunkermotoren! Decades of experience in drive technology, which can be powered by accumulators, distinguishes Dunkermotoren. The constant development towards energy-efficient drives testifies to a high technical level. The compact design and modular construction of the drive system from a single source allow a wide range of combinations with optimum use of space. The use of highly integrated motor controllers with a high degree of flexibility in the selection of fieldbus systems is possible in almost all industrial environments. Additional safety-related functions such as a brake, independent encoder systems or functional safety (STO function) complete the performance spectrum, especially for autonomous systems. The buzzword IIoT or Industry 4.0 can then be used as an additional extension. Thanks to its new IIoT brand nexofox which was launched in 2021, Dunkermotoren can now also meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 with services such as drive-specific data evaluation and predictive maintenance.

Depending on the requirements in the application, small motors with less than 50 W nominal power and a design of less than 50 mm are offered. Especially small axes such as telescopic arms or small lifting axes rely on such motors. On the other side of the scale there are motor solutions with a continuous output power of over 1 kW and a peak output power of up to 5 kW - with a supply of 24 ... 48 V battery voltage! This allows loads of up to 8 tons to be moved, for example when transporting chassis in the vehicle construction. At the same time, the system can be positioned exactly within a fraction of a millimeter thanks to the integrated electronics. This is important when precise assembly or testing operations are carried out on the load.

The technical basis for this lies in compact and highly integrated power electronics in the motor, which, thanks to its modular design, enables a wide variety of expansion stages, allowing the motor to be adapted to requirements in terms of its intelligence and capability. Simple, controlled movements can thus be implemented optimally and cost-effectively. Likewise, an integrated and complex sequence control is possible, which can trigger other bus participants or react to their movement. Parts of the motion sequence can be relocated from the higher-level control system to the motor. The Motor Control Platform (MCP) allows communication between components via all common fieldbus systems. This high level of diversity creates two advantages:

   »  The modular design generates a level of common parts to achieve a positive cost effect
   »  At platform level, the functions are almost the same and independent of communication

In addition to the communication, concepts of safe automation are also part of the drive concept. The attachment of a holding brake to fix the transport vehicle is available as standard in Dunkermotoren's modular system. The same applies to the installation of an independent, second encoder system, which can be used for safe speed monitoring. Complete components for a safe stop of the vehicle in the event of a fault can be fitted as an optional extension. All these points are essential requirements for a motor solution in self-guided transport systems.

Dunkermotoren's modular system enables customers to implement a wide range of intralogistics applications. Individual adaptation of the assembly for fast and cost-optimized installation is also possible. Optimal consultation and early involvement of Dunkermotoren's experts in the project can provide the decisive cost advantage on the market if assembly times are to be reduced or a motor solution must be used flexibly several times in the application. 

Together, we will also find the best and most economical motor solution for your intralogistics application.

Authors: Matthias Tidelski & Michael Basler, Key Account Manager for Industrial Automation at Dunkermotoren GmbH

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From a bike helmet to seatbelts or swimming wings, there are safety devices for every aspect of life to keep us safe. What if your application could also be protected with swimming wings? When working with cobots (collaborative robots) or AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) in the intralogistics, medical technology, industrial or door automation sectors, safety precautions mean that the drive can safely no longer generate torque. Since motors cannot fulfill this with swimming wings, Dunkermotoren has introduced the safety function STO for BLDC motors into the dPro version and the external control electronics BGE 5510 dPro.

STO stands for "Safe Torque Off". In this case, the motor no longer generates torque. This task is the basic function for many other safety functions, such as SS1 and SLS. Dunkermotoren has, in addition to the control electronics, completely integrated these functions into the motor housing - while keeping the same size. Advantages of an integrated solution are, for example, the reduced cable effort or the cost, space and energy savings due to the omission of the safety relay, which would be needed otherwise. Another advantage is that the logic voltage of the motor is retained despite torque-free disconnection. This avoids time-consuming re-referencing when restarting, which increases the efficiency of the application.

The required standards were also met when the safety function was introduced in Dunkermotoren's smart motors. This was tested by TÜV Nord and confirmed in the first run. As a result, the corresponding Dunkermotoren drives are officially STO-certified, which significantly simplifies your application's installation and certification.

STO is available for all BG motors of the dPro version and the BGE 5510 dPro control electronics and is even integrated as standard in combination with Industrial Ethernet. Even if motors do not protect against sinking like swimming wings, Dunkermotoren with STO as a safety precaution protects man and machine from damage. 

Dunkermotoren has held its line with PROFINET and has set new standards: The combination of PROFINET and PROFIdrive with application classes 1 to 4 completely integrated into the drive - and in all sizes from the small BG 45 to the powerful BG 95.

Author: Lea Rheiner, Product Management at Dunkermotoren GmbH


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Full concentration prevails before the start. Finally, the lights switch to green, and the bob is accelerated with all available power of the four sprinters who need to run completely synchronously. The starting phase only takes some seconds. Then, the pilots disappear aerodynamically behind the fairing. Often, a good start decides about succeeding or losing the competition. After the starting phase, the gravitation is taking over the further acceleration. The bob is now riding through the track with a speed of up to 140 km/h. The helmsman is sitting at the front and is the only one who can see the route. With fine movements, he is keeping the bob on track. Only those teams who never touch the board have a chance to win the competition. During the ride, the bob is never braked and must only be brought to a halt at the finish line. This task is taken over by the rearmost of the four athletes.

Due to the high potential for injuries of this sports, it is essential that the four athletes are perfectly coordinated in their behavior and can respond to the conditions in their environment. This is the only way to ensure the safety of the team and other people involved. The same principles apply to the sport as well as to the technology sector. That is why Dunkermotoren offers safe control with integrated STO functionality (Safe Torque Off).

Speeds of up to 140 km/h are inconceivable on factory floors - but fast vehicles perfectly matching the changing conditions of their environment can also be found on factory floors: the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) iw.hub of the BMW Group subsidiary idealworks achieves up to 8 km/h, fully loaded with goods of up to one ton. Comparable to the bob with the four athletes, several drive components work together. This is the only way to achieve the necessary power and precision. The motor and gearbox provide sufficient high-speed power and thus ensure the necessary dynamics. The control system achieves synchronous running when travelling straight ahead, while setting the appropriate differential speed for driving curves. The speed information is sent to the control system by the encoder, which is designed with redundancy. The sensor system of the AMR, which navigates through the halls without any structural Page 2 PROFESSIONAL ARTICLE of Dunkermotoren GmbH in December 2021 changes to the area of operation, detects objects and passengers. The movement of the mobile robot is then adjusted to avoid possible collisions. In extreme cases, a safe stop is performed, in which the brake attached to the motor drops in. Within the next moment the vehicle is standing still.

Bobsleighing takes place on just a handful of tracks and only a few teams can compete. The best of these qualifies for a world championship. In the sports, only one bob is riding the track and under no circumstances are people allowed to be there at the same time. For the iw.hub, the conditions are different: They are on the rise worldwide, are used widely, and harmonize with their changeable environment. While at the bob the good grip is ensured by soles covered with steel brushes, on the AMR this is taken over by wheels made of polyurethane. These can be adapted to the application in terms of diameter, width and material. Even if the driving profiles differ a lot, they can all be realized with the same basic construction. Shunting operations with frequent starts and stops are covered just as well as transports through factory halls of several hundred meters in length.

The AMR easily transports heavy, bulky, but also sensitive parts and transfers them to the assembly line. In close cooperation with idealworks, Dunkermotoren has configured the appropriate travel drives for AMRs. They consist of four components: Motor, gearbox with drive wheel, control electronics and encoder system with brake. The BG 95 brushless DC motor with its up to 3.9 kW power serves as the motor. The wheel drive is the gearbox series NG 500, a compact planetary gearbox that can handle radial loads of up to 500 kg. The linear drive which handles the positioning the load on the vehicle also comes from Dunkermotoren. These circumstances made it possible to build a particularly compact and powerful AMR, which is now sold on the market under the product name iw.hub.

Awarding this vehicle for the IFOY AWARD just a few months after its launch was more than justified.

"The iw.hub mobile robot from idealworks is fast, fully autonomous and automatically adjusts its route if necessary," judge the IFOY testers. The solution is particularly flexible, can Page 3 PROFESSIONAL ARTICLE of Dunkermotoren GmbH in December 2021 be installed within a few days and is also attractively priced, bringing a factory-in-one-day within reach, according to the overall test verdict. (Wümser, https://www.ifoy.org/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/1105-die-sieger-des-, 2021)


Author: Stefan Tröndle, Produktmanager, Dunkermotoren GmbH

Dunkermotoren impressed the jury of Industrial Production magazine in this year's competition for the "INDUSTRIAL Production - handling award 2021". With the BG 95 dPro servo motor in combination with the NG 500 hub gearbox, Dunkermotoren achieved third place in the electrical automation category. Dunkermotoren's solution was the best evaluated drive system. The award is given for innovative products from companies operating in the field of automation, robotics or intralogistics.

The use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) has increased massively in recent years due to online trade and the increasing flexibility of manufacturing concepts. This has been particularly reflected in the increased demands placed on the drive systems.

With the BG 95 dPro + NG 500 complete drive, Dunkermotoren is the first drive manufacturer for automated guided vehicles to offer an ultra-compact, highly integrated travel drive with a range of functions never before realized, which meets all requirements and thus achieves an advantage over its competitors.

Dunkermotoren can use its modular construction kit and can develop and completely manufacture travel drives for AGVs not only as compact units, they can also match all components specifically to each other and thus respond individually to the requirements of the customer.



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