Weidmüller FreeCon Contactless for industrial trucks: Automated charging of mobile systems thanks to contactless, maintenance-free power transmission up to 240 Watt.

– Extremely low transmission losses result in an efficiency level up to 90 percent. – FreeCon Contactless switchable directly via PLC control.

Fig. 1: Weidmüller "FreeCon Contactless": contactless, maintenance-free power transmission can be used advantageously with automated transport systems, e.g. industrial trucks. Batteries are charged contactless and without plug-in connectors.

FreeCon Contactless from Weidmüller is designed for contactless, maintenance-free power transmission and developed for a wide range of industrial applications. An ideal application area for this innovative system is in automated charging of mobile systems is - that's why FreeCon Contactless comes into its own with battery charging stations for driverless forklifts, transport systems or robots. FreeCon Contactless transmits a power of 240 Watt – 24 Volt DC / 10 Ampere – via a 5-millimetre gap, contactless with an efficiency of up to 90 percent.

Automated transport systems, as found in many warehouses and production halls nowadays, all work without human assistance. Previously, a member of staff had to be present to make the plug-in connection, as required for charging batteries. Thanks to FreeCon Contactless, even this manual operation is now omitted: Suitably equipped driverless transport systems move autonomously to the charging station just before the battery is empty or "at the end of the shift". This saves time and money, so the investment in FreeCon is recouped within a short time.

In industrial automation, electrical power is usually transmitted via plug-in connectors. With this conventional solution, burnt, bent or soiled contacts lead to time-consuming and expensive production downtime. This is particularly the case in applications requiring frequent mating cycles or where special demands are placed on products or processes. In situations in which several industrial trucks are used simultaneously for transporting goods horizontally on ground level in extensive halls or buildings, manually charging batteries significantly restricts the process flow. FreeCon Contactless presents an elegant yet efficient and technically mature solution: Contactless power transmission based on inductive resonance coupling allows non-wearing connections even through a glass partition, as an option. This technology is applicable almost everywhere, for instance also in solid and fluid materials, but is unsuitable for penetrating metal for physical reasons. Power transmission with FreeCon Contactless permanently safeguards the electrical supply of sensors and actuators.

Various features are particularly notable. FreeCon Contactless is currently the only system on the market that is switchable directly via PLC control without requiring an additional contactor. The power transmission module is also very compact with a width of 100 mm, length of 100 mm and height of 47 mm. Its output power of 240 Watt makes the smallest device currently on the market second to none. Designed to a high protection class (IP 65), FreeCon Contactless also offers flexible installation options, such as direct mounting or with the use of a fixture bracket. FreeCon Contactless operates without wear, requires no maintenance and therefore increases plant availability, reduces service calls and and keeps maintenance costs to a minimum.

Thanks to its contactless transmission through inductive resonance coupling, the system excels in its high level of flexibility and multiple coupling options. Unlike plug-in connectors, the secondary side can be approached by the primary side from any direction and can also rotate. The system is accurately coupled via precise position control called “advanced pairing”. The connection is established as soon as the two modules are positioned opposite one another. Connections can be made automatically via a PLC controller.

Compared to similar solutions on the market, Weidmüller’s FreeCon Contactless achieves twice the power density and a much higher degree of efficiency.
Innovative thermal management and a high degree of efficiency translate into extremely high performance.

Weidmüller – electrical connection, transmission and conversion of power, signals and data in the industrial environment. – Let’s connect.
Keyword: Weidmüller „FreeCon Contactless“
Additional information: www.weidmueller.com

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