Danfoss’s VSD portfolio drives down costs

Danfoss Power Solutions has announced the EMEA launch of its Vickers by Danfoss variable speed drive (VSD) portfolio, a modular system designed to overhaul the efficiency of industrial hydraulic applications.

By intelligently matching motor speed to duty cycle demands, the new VSD solutions can slash energy consumption by up to 60%, while simultaneously reducing heat, noise, and total cost of ownership.

The launch target is primarily discrete and process manufacturing — sectors like injection moulding, die casting, and metal forming — where intermittent duty cycles often lead to significant energy waste in traditional constant-speed systems.

Traditional hydraulic architectures typically run at a fixed, maximum speed, regardless of the actual demand. The Vickers by Danfoss VSD system breaks this cycle by combining a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, and a frequency drive with integrated control logic. This smart trio ensures the motor only works as hard as the specific task requires.

The portfolio is split into two distinct tiers to meet varying industrial needs:

1. The induction motor solution: aimed at 3 to 250 kW applications with lower dynamic requirements. Using a PVM Code B axial piston pump and a VLT AutomationDrive FC 302, it typically achieves energy savings of 20% to 40%.
2. The servo motor solution: designed for high-precision, high-dynamic systems (3 to 100 kW). This setup uses an iC7-Automation drive and proprietary p/Q control software for closed-loop pressure and flow control. By eliminating the need for separate control valves, this system can reduce energy use by up to 60%.

Beyond direct electricity savings, the VSD portfolio offers a secondary “domino effect” of cost reductions. Because the system is more efficient, it generates significantly less heat. This allows manufacturers to downsize or entirely eliminate bulky oil coolers, lowering the initial installation cost and extending the lifespan of seals and hydraulic oil.

The impact on the factory floor is also acoustic. By operating at lower speeds during non-peak portions of the cycle, the VSDs dramatically reduce noise exposure. This improves operator comfort and safety, while also allowing engineers more flexibility in where they place power units within the facility.

Danfoss’s modular approach also allows for a “smaller is better” design philosophy. Because the system utilises the full speed range of the motor rather than a fixed rpm, manufacturers can often specify smaller pump displacements and lower-torque motors.

“The superior performance of these solutions is rooted in seamless integration,” said Juraj Bittner, product manager, Industrial Solutions at Danfoss Power Solutions. “By combining the durability of Vickers pumps with the intelligent control of Danfoss drives, we deliver a harmonised system that is easy to commission and operate.”