Servodrive ‘redefines high-performance motion control’
25 November 2025 
B&R, ABB’s Machine Automation Division, has announced a new servodrive that, it says, redefines high-performance motion control for modern manufacturing. The Acopos M4 drive combines “outstanding” precision and power with a compact, scalable design, while tackling challenges such as predictive maintenance, scalability and machine performance.
A new multi-level power stage technology using Mosfet transistors delivers power supply efficiencies of almost 99%, while cutting losses by 40%. The supply needs less space and less cooling, resulting in a 60% reduction in cabinet footprints for four-axis modules.
And by integrating an EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) filter into the power supply module, while removing the need for an external braking resistor or regeneration choke, the new drive is 30% shorter for a 12-axis-configuration. Combined with the device’s high efficiency, this also allows cabinet cooling to be reduced, further optimising cabinet space. Water-cooled and air-cooled variants will be available, from 1.4kW (1.9A) to 200kW (315A).
An embedded system allows predictive maintenance and AI functions to be implemented on-board. The drive can detect and flag up issues to operators long before they develop into faults. It can also sense, adapt, monitor and predict machine behaviour, and respond rapidly to external changes. Built-in diagnostic and maintenance tools monitor the condition and performance of the drive, while automatic firmware updates provide performance and security improvements throughout its lifetime.
In addition, the Acopos M4 is one of the first servodrives to use the open-source OPC UA FX protocol, which is designed to unlock the full potential of this next-generation fieldbus for plug-and-produce machine automation. OPC UA FX is an extension of OPC UA, designed to be cross-platform and open-source, allowing field-level devices to be integrated all the way up to the cloud. It enables more reliable control networks and, at the same time, allows secure data collection from multiple systems at the same time.
OPC UA FX includes certificate-based encryption, providing a more robust security environment, compared to integrating several different protocols at once.
“Acopos M4 sets a new benchmark for motion control – combining compact design, energy efficiency, intelligence and OPC UA FX connectivity to deliver secure, scalable automation without limits,” says B&R’s motion product manager, Wilfried Guerry. “Up to four synchronous, asynchronous, linear or torque motors can be controlled simultaneously from one Acopos.
“Compared to previous generations, the Acopos M4 doubles the power density, facilitating the design of smaller, more energy-efficient machines and cabinets,” he adds. “For machine-builders and end-users, having the ability to control more motors from a single device, allows for improvements in machine capabilities and performance, without compromising on space.
“We are extremely proud of the power efficiency and compactness we’ve achieved with the Acopos M4,” says Guerry. “We can offer our customers a disruptive technology for industrial automation, a solution that not only fits their needs but can be adapted and scaled in the future.”
B&R: LinkedIn
