ABB launches new DC drive series

ABB DCS 880 drive

ABB has launched a new series of DC variable speed drives (VSDs) that allow users with a large installed base to get better performance from their existing systems. With the new DCS880 VSDs, customers who are heavily invested in a DC system have the option to continue using DC technology while better aligning with modern AC advancements.

The DC VSDs are built on ABB’s all-compatible, common drive platform, sharing the same control panel, features and tools as recent- and future-generation ABB drives. Once users have learned one ABB all-compatible drive, they can easily use other all-compatible drives – both DC and AC.

They are also easily integrated with ABB Ability monitoring services – ABB’s unified, cross-industry, digital offering, which provides real-time data about drive status and performance from any location. Monitoring parameters include drive availability, environmental conditions and fault events.

Optimized for safety, simplicity, and user-friendliness, the drives feature built-in functions, such as safe torque off (STO), which prevents unexpected startup of machinery. This protects people and equipment by reducing risk during operation.

ABB says that the DCS880 drives have the flexibility to meet the precise needs of a broad range of industrial environments and applications with superior speed and torque control in a compact, space-saving design that easily fits into electrical control rooms. They can handle advanced programming with standard IEC languages and include many ready-made, dedicated application programs, including those for a variety of cranes, such as industrial, harbor, tower and marine deck cranes.

ABB’s smartphone service applications, Drivebase and Drivetune, connect wirelessly to the drive.

Optional Bluetooth connectivity between the drive and mobile devices makes it easier and safer to access the drive in hazardous or difficult-to-access locations.