SCHIEBEL of Austria: Over 60 Years of High-End Electric Actuators — The AB, CM and FAILSAFE Series
SCHIEBEL Antriebstechnik GmbH is an Austrian manufacturer of high-end electric actuators, headquartered in Vienna (Josef-Benc-Gasse 4, 1230 Wien). Family-run by Klaus Schiebel for over 60 years, the company serves customers in more than 50 countries through its own offices and over 30 distribution partners, employing 100+ people; all products are developed and produced at the Vienna headquarters. (The group is also known for the Camcopter S-100 UAV; the actuator business operates independently.) In China the brand is distributed by Maxonic.
AB series heavy-duty overview (image source: SCHIEBEL brochure)
AB Series: Traditional and Robust (30+ years worldwide)
- Torques up to 300,000Nm, speeds up to 200rpm, control units up to 22kW
- Special voltages (e.g. 500VAC), high temperature to +100℃, low temperature to -60℃, vibration-resistant design
- Mechanical measurement of stroke and torque; integrated fail-safe function on request
- Safety integrity SIL 2, rising to SIL 3 with the fail-safe function
- Double controller innovation: all switching and control components mounted directly on the actuator, eliminating a separate control cabinet — unique in this power class, AB only
- Ex-proof controller in a pressure-resistant enclosure for IIC hydrogen atmospheres under ATEX; inductive proximity switches available instead of mechanical ones
- Mechanical or electronic reversing contactors; various clamping systems; optional frequency converter for high-torque, high-cycle continuous linear duty
- In-house Smartcon controller meeting digitalisation and IoT requirements with all major fieldbus interfaces; direct-acting handwheel standard
AB actuator with double controller (image source: SCHIEBEL brochure)
CM Series: The Flagship with the 3-Level Concept
Level 1 — basic setting: explosion protection, power supply, corrosion protection, ambient conditions, network connection.
Level 2 — sizing: CM 03 (to 32Nm), CM 06 (to 64Nm), CM 12 (to 125Nm).
Level 3 — components: multi-turn (bevel gear) / 90° part-turn (worm gear) / 90° failsafe (spring return) / part-turn (planetary gear) / linear (ball screw) / linear failsafe (spring return).
The CM series 3-level selection concept (image source: SCHIEBEL brochure)
- Brushless DC motor with frequency converter achieves a 1:50 speed ratio — extremely high speeds and fine control alike
- Multi-voltage inputs for worldwide use without hardware changes; modular design with components shared across sizes, upgradeable in the field
- Optional fail-safe spring in all sizes guarantees safe open/close on power failure; with the mechanical fail-safe working in parallel with the electric drive the stroke can be accelerated up to tenfold
- SIL classification per IEC 61508; low-wear thread and gear components; optional engageable handwheel allowing manual movement (spring included) even when de-energised
CM series actuator (image source: SCHIEBEL brochure)
FAILSAFE Series: Purely Mechanical Failsafe
SCHIEBEL's failsafe technology combines an electric actuator with a purely mechanical safety function independent of the power supply: on power failure the valve reaches its predefined position in under one second. Built on the CM platform, all sizes (to 125Nm) accept 90° spring-return or linear spring-return components; functional safety classified per IEC 61508.
SMARTCON Control Unit
- History: time-stamped event log; up to 100 events trackable and displayable with SCHIEBEL software
- Eight freely programmable binary feedback outputs, five parameterisable binary inputs, 0/4~20mA analogue I/O displays
- Absolute/relative position and torque values, firmware version, serial numbers of electronics/actuator/control unit, power-on cycles and operating hours
- Ergonomics: operable with gloved hands in any environment; LED and LCD feedback with immediate red backlight on error
Document Downloads
See the German counterpart PS Automation in this column.
