Protected against airborne particles, the new scalable active energy management device PxtTX from Michael Koch GmbH is suitable for use as a short-term uninterruptible power supply for electric drives. The textile and wood processing industries, in particular, stand to benefit from this innovation. According to the manufacturer, the closed housing and passive heat dissipation hardly give any chance for airborne particles in the ambient air to become lodged in the device. As a scalable, active extension of the intermediate circuit capacity of frequency converters and servo controllers, the PxtTX can be used in a plug-and-play manner independently of the manufacturer. With a current load capacity of five amps effectively continuous and 40 amps peak for three seconds, compared to a storage unit that can have a maximum voltage of 450 volts DC, the device is said to be able to generate up to 18 kilowatts of power. The PxtTX can be factory-equipped with a storage volume of two or four kilojoules.

Features beyond the standard

Koch considers the extensive safety features of the PxtTX, from internal fuses to reverse polarity protection against the DC link, to be standard features for such devices. In addition, the PxtTX offers an SD memory card slot, an external 24-volt supply, status displays via LEDs, boot loading and reset options, and six digital I/Os. In addition, there are output functionalities via a USB module. For integration into a field bus network, the PxtTX can also be expanded with the PxtMX plug-in module, which also offers other useful features. If more energy is required in the application, a device called PxtEX, also with a closed housing, is used. A single PxtEX can store two, four or six kilowatt-seconds of energy. Simply connected to the PxtTX via a cable with a reverse-polarity protected plug, the storage extension directly benefits the system without any further settings. The individual storage units are internally fused and indicate their status visually via LEDs on the front panel.

Digital offering makes work easier

All devices in the Pxt family have a so-called digital nameplate in common, which, in addition to the technical data of the specific device and its specific design, also displays inspection and test logs as well as the associated documents such as the assembly and operating instructions via the QR code of a device. In addition, administrative options are available with which, for example, a machine builder can assign devices with their respective properties to a machine or system. Design tools, application engineering, support with selection and testing – that is what Koch says it stands for in its day-to-day business. The devices in the Pxt family are also said to be available with very short delivery times, fully parameterized ex works, and ready for operation as soon as they are connected to the DC bus.

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