World debut at SPS/IPC/DRIVES , 27-29 November 2012, Nuremberg, booth 4-350

Braunschweig, Germany, 27 November 2012 --- Today, Metronix launches a

family of intelligent servomotor drives offering machine builders a platform
to boost the performance of automation while also decreasing costs. The new
ARS 2000 SE drives combine advanced features including integrated functional
safety, universal encoder interfacing and a peak current capability that is
up to twice that of many similar drives on the market - allowing much faster
acceleration. ?At the same time, the drives reduce costs by providing only
the features that a significant majority of system builders want - according
to a survey of users.

"The new servo drives integrate a very high-performance position control
capability but at a middle-market price," says Metronix's Frank Essmann.
"We've managed to reduce costs by up to 15% compared with our existing
ranges, by carefully matching functions to the needs of a majority of our
OEMs and automation engineer customers."

The ARS 2000 SE family of compact panel/cabinet-mounting drives are
available in a choice of six single- or three-phase continuous output power
ratings from 0.5 to 6 kVA - the same ratings as two other Metronix drive
families with identical form-factors. This compatibility allows the drives
to be used as more cost-effective replacements or upgrades in many
applications, and ensures that machine builders can choose a drive offering
optimized cost-performance.

The new drives incorporate three advanced features that are proving very
popular with current Metronix customers. The first is an extremely compact
design with integrated line and motor filters plus an integrated brake
chopper and braking resistor. This is a typical characteristic of all
Metronix drives - which are provided ready to use - avoiding the additional
costs of external EMC filters and wiring.

The second feature is an increased overcurrent capability of four times the
continuous output rating. This compares with the approximately two times
overcurrent rating offered by many other servo drive manufacturers. The
feature typically allows the speed of moves and the overall throughput of
machines to be increased by factors from around 17 to 25 %. Metronix's tests
demonstrate that these drives provide overall increases in automation
productivity of around 5 to 7% in typical continuous processing
applications.

The third advanced feature is the integration of Safe Torque Off (STO)
functional safety. This is provided and certified to Category 4/PLe
according to EN 13849-1 - the maximum rating achievable single-axis safety
level in this category.

The new drives also feature a universal encoder interfacing capability that
allows connection to resolvers, analog/digital incremental encoders, and
single/multiturn absolute encoders such as HIPERFACE or EnDat. Standard
communications interfaces include the CAN fieldbus - compatible with the DS
402 CANopen device profile. One further feature is an SD Card interface,
which can be used to store firmware and operating parameters. This allows
the drives to be commissioned very easily, and facilitates an easy
change-out by maintenance workers - without any need for a sophisticated
software parameterization tool. The drives come in case sizes with widths of
54 or 69 mm (2.1 or 2.7 inches).

Compared with Metronix's existing panel-mounting drives, the only
significant features that have been omitted are an expansion capability in
the form of two slots that accept plug-in modules - containing additional
I/O, fieldbus interfaces, etc - and built-in power factor correction.

The drives' built-in intelligence provides enormous flexibility for system
builders. It allows engineers to create highly cost-effective drive-based
solutions easily for many common applications requiring one or a few axes,
or economic solutions for subsystems in processing equipment performing
functions such as labelling or handling. Other common applications include
functions such as synchronizing, sorting and a flying saw, and axes that
automate auxiliary machinery functions such as set up and guarding. The
drives can also be used in more complex multi-axis machinery and plant
automation - which can now be designed in a more flexible way thanks to
Metronix's expanded drive portfolio.

A powerful and easy to use Windows-based software tool for parameterizing
and analyzing the new drives is available. For more complex applications,
Metronix offers a motion controller which can be integrated easily.

Metronix has been producing drive technology for industrial machines and
automotive applications for over 30 years. Its product range includes smart
servo drives with integrated positioning capability, plus motion controllers
and accessories that provide cost-effective solutions for multi-axis motion
control and automation, and decentralized machine control requirements.
Metronix complements this capability with what is probably the most
sophisticated and capable custom drive engineering service on the market
today. Motion control products designed by Metronix are marketed under its
own brand, and in custom forms by a number of well known industrial OEMs.

The company additionally makes geophysical instruments and customer-specific
digital controls for measurement and control applications. Metronix is part
of the Apex Tool Group, headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, USA. The Apex
Tool Group has more than 7,600 employees in over 30 countries. Metronix'
design and manufacturing facility is located in Braunschweig, Germany.