To prevent fabric defects, weaving machines must quickly reach speeds of 1,500 cycles per minute. Protronic, the main group of the technologies division of the Picanol Group, develops mechatronical systems and drives for high-precision weaving machines. To achieve the required dynamic performance, Protronic develops switched reluctance motors (SRMs) that feature a simple and robust construction for handling high torque/volume ratio.
Protronic uses Simulink and CEDRAT’s FLUX finite element analysis tool to simulate and optimize SRM drives for various applications, including non-textile, without building costly hardware prototypes.
“SRM motors are mechanically very simple, but they require complex control,” explains Nico Verhelst, systems engineer for Protronic. “Together, Simulink and FLUX enabled us to meet our requirements of simulating the motor control strategy and obtaining an accurate torque waveform, in combination with the simulation of the load.”