Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) has announced a new AC drive designed for the food and beverages industry to its device "Siplus extreme" line of devices with high protection against external influences. The Siplus Converter F&B (food & beverages) with IP65 protection has been specially designed for use in the wet area of the food and beverages industry and supports three-phase AB motor ratings of 0.25 to 1.5 kilowatts.

The new converter in detergent- and solvent-proof stainless steel can be installed direct at the conveyor belt in the bottling plant, for example, so there is no need for additional cabling. Convection cooling without fans enables maintenance-free operation on the one hand, and on the other, integration of the standard frequency inverters from Siemens such as the Micromaster MM420 or MM440. The converter is available in versions with filters of class A or B, and in a version without integral filter.

The smooth finish of the Siplus Converter F&B's stainless steel housing avoids crevices where dirt can accumulate. Special fixings and brackets simplify startup. The inner chassis can be replaced within five minutes without interrupting the operation of the rest of the plant, and the connector concept simplifies the replacement of spare parts.

The device is equipped with extensive indicators for checking the status, a Profibus-DP communication interface, and a service interface accessible from the outside. The lockable main switch on the housing switches off the individual device only and not the entire line. The device connections are located on the underside of the housing in order to minimize the device depth, on the one hand, and on the other, to avoid cutting of the incoming and outgoing cables by passing transport vehicles.