Obsolete Panasonic MINAS A5 Parts Sourcing

MINAS A5 drives and motors are out of production — here is what we can still source, and how to migrate to A6.

Panasonic has discontinued the MINAS A5 series (drives MADLT/MDDLT, motors MSMD/MHMD/MHMF). Machines built on A5 remain in service by the thousands, and failures still happen: the drive's electrolytic capacitors age, the fan dies, and encoder errors appear after 10-15 years.

We source discontinued A5 drives, motors, encoders, cables and spare parts globally — and where a direct replacement is unavailable, we guide the A5-to-A6 migration with the parameter and wiring differences that matter.

MINAS A5 vs A6 — what changed

SeriesDiscontinued modelsCurrent replacement
Drive seriesMADLT (single-phase), MDDLT (three-phase), MDDHT (high inertia)MADLN/MADNT series
Motor seriesMSMD (low inertia), MHMD (medium inertia), MHMF (flat)MHMD/MSMD continue, new 1.5kW class added
Control modesPosition, speed, torque closingPosition, speed, torque closing — same three modes
Encoder5-wire incremental / 7-wire absolute (A5 format)20-bit absolute / 23-bit absolute — NOT cable-compatible
CommsCCW/RS-485 (A5 format)RTEX (Realtime Express) — different protocol
Migration—Parameter re-entry required; encoder and comms wiring must be adapted

A5-to-A6 migration checklist

  1. Confirm motor frame and shaft (most A5 motors are mechanically interchangeable with A6 within the same frame).
  2. Budget for new encoder cable and power cable — A5 and A6 encoder wiring differ and are not interchangeable.
  3. Re-enter parameters: A6 uses a new parameter structure; a drive swap is a re-commissioning job, not a plug-in.
  4. Where the machine must stay on A5, we source the discontinued A5 drive/motor from the surplus network instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can an A6 drive run an A5 motor?

Mechanically many combinations fit, but the encoder format and wiring differ. Send both nameplates and we confirm the exact compatibility before you order.

Is it cheaper to repair the old A5 drive?

Usually yes — capacitor, fan and keypad level repairs are typically 40-60% of a replacement. We supply the parts and arrange repair through service partners.

Do you still source MSMD motors?

Yes — MSMD/MHMD motors are still in production for some frames; discontinued frames are sourced from the surplus network with 12-month warranty.

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