Nord Updates Nordac On Line With Additional Safety Features
Features include extracurricular Safe Torque Off tools and ethernet/network safety controls.
Published August 18, 2026
Nord has added a suite of features to their Nordac On line of variable frequency drives.
Hot on the heels of another update to their Nordac Pro line last month, Nord Drivesystems has expanded another line of variable frequency drives (VFDs), Nordac On, with several new safety features, including integrated fail-safe controls, PROFIsafe or FSoE (Functional Safety over EtherCAT) connectivity, and reduced wiring for modern automated production.
In general terms, Nordac On variable frequency drives are built with a compact design and full plug-and-play functionality designed to reduce wiring and provide a maintenance-friendly, cost-effective solution for modern automated production environments. These drives include an on-board PLC for drive-related functions and can process data from connected sensors and actuators, initiate control sequences and communicate drive and application data to the control center, networked components or cloud storage. Nordac On variable frequency drives are available for a power range of 0.5 to 5.0 hp. You can, of course, also combine Nordac On VFDs with Nord’s other components, such as their gear motors, to create a single, complete package configured for your personal application.
This time around, Nord has focused on expanding Nordac On’s safety features. In addition to Safe Torque Off (STO) and Safe Stop 1 (SS1), which have become the industry gold standard for drive safety, Nord is pushing a step further and including related features such as Safe Limited Space (SLS), Safe Maximum Speed (SMS) and Safe Speed Monitor (SSM). These additional features enable safe control of drive speeds for demanding safety applications.
Nordac On VFDs can also be attached to peripheral safety components such as emergency stop buttons, safety door switches and photoelectric sensors. These connections are somewhat customizable; two safe one-channel digital inputs can be combined into one safe two-channel digital input, and two safe outputs can be combined into one safe two-channel output.
In automated production, drive electronics with integrated safety functions enable safe control and monitoring of all motion sequences, making them increasingly important in drive systems. With this update, Nord has worked to reduce the need for an attached encoder by putting these safety features directly on the drive. Their solutions can additionally be easily incorporated into failsafe applications within an existing Industrial Ethernet network via PROFIsafe or FSoE, creating a future-proof solution while reducing installation effort and cabling.
