Teamwork relieves stress on circuit boards

Fielding the completely revised G-Drives series of drive controllers, Siemens is focussing on a modular concept for all performance classes. The flexible har-drive system is at work in the new generation of devices, handling the internal transfer of current/power from one circuit board to another. The previous connection of the PCBs involving rigid stand-offs made it a challenge to align them absolutely flat and parallel to each other. The har-drive connectors provide the PCBs with the necessary freedom of movement, while ensuring reliable power transmission.

Revamping the entire portfolio of the SINAMICS-G (General Purpose) series, Siemens has greatly streamlined the complexity of all power classes of frequency inverters thanks to modular design. This has trimmed the number of variants significantly. Necessary adaptive adjustments, such as chokes, can be installed variably depending on the application and the required variant.

A flexible connection of the circuit boards for current/power transmission is one key element of the new development. The har-drive system replaces the former rigid stand-off solutions, which can be challenging when aligning PCBs absolutely flat and parallel to each other. In worst case scenarios, this can lead to distortions of circuit boards, which in turn is detrimental to the correct assembly and heat dissipation of IGBTs, chokes and other thermally relevant components.

The entire assembly of large and heavy components such as chokes and filters is facilitated by the fact that complex screw connections in the area of the filters are dispensed with, allowing the integration of more compact designs or more power.

Har-drive connectors are available in various sizes and provide the necessary freedom of movement for PCBs, while ensuring reliable power transmission for all variants of the SINAMICS-G series. Thanks to a maximum horizontal freedom of movement of 3 mm, the connectors are flexible enough to effectively prevent tension within the PCB. In frame sizes A to C, the contacts are bundled in an insulating body, ensuring convenient handling. Single contacts are used from frame size D upwards. In addition to PCB to PCB connections, cable to BUS bar links are likewise an option.

The terrific international teamwork, enabled by Siemens and HARTING locations in the UK, Germany and China, has impressively demonstrated how combined expertise in device design and industrial connectivity can deliver rapid and series-ready OEM solutions. The very short realisation time, from the initial idea through to the finished product, underlines the dynamic cooperation and keen awareness of the HARTING OEM team in catering to customer requirements.