VSDs (Variable Speed Drive), Inverters, and VFDs (Variable frequency drives) all have the same goal i.e. controlling the speed and torque of an AC motor by changing the motor supply's frequency and voltage. In new applications, they can take a range of input signals and changes the motor output based on the predefined software, which is installed. This is the way that drives become capable of making important energy savings by matching the output of the motor to the process demand.
Over time, the drive sizes have severely reduced, while the controlling features and the overall energy savings have increased significantly. This advancement even means that a huge deal of the new equipment is now outdated, so if any issues do develop, finding an appropriate VFD repair service may be difficult. Some might suggest a complete replacement, but this cannot be a cost-effective solution, particularly on larger parts of equipment.
Avoiding downtime
Most industrial procedures will have a time set for maintenance; it may be an exact shut-down period or it might be a usual program that looks at particular items in a way that matches the on-site maintenance department. However, these maintenance schedules will check the mechanical items such as chains, motors, belts, pumps, bearings, fans, and so on, but will overlook to execute any checks on the electrical side.
A cyclic electrical examination might be executed on the wiring installation, but unless particularly identified, products such as drives would be absent from such examination. Usually, variable speed drives are considered as ‘black box’ technology and thus only warrant notice when something becomes wrong. Regrettably, this way can lead to considerable downtime, which might have a big impact on usual production.
Many commercial and industrial firms are taking a more practical way to maintenance but usually, this is not applied to electrical devices such as VSDs. In many conditions, the in-house maintenance department might not have the essential skills or devices and so it would be good to employ the services of professionals CM Industry Supply Automation instead of overlooking the issues.
Hiring an experienced repairer can be worthy, not only for the pre-emptive maintenance examination but even for repairs and usual product support that can reduce downtime in the event of a failure.
Periodic inspections include analyzing error codes along with inspecting electrolytic capacitors, PCBs (printed circuit boards), performing insulation resistance tests, fan and ventilation checks & utilizing thermography to spot any loose connections, or overheating parts. Even the control program must be checked and even saved to an outside location permitting it to be reloaded onto a new drive while catastrophic failure.
On-site analysis to verify the cause
In conditions where the drive becomes failed, on-site analysis is important to verify the failure causes and to assess a most efficient solution. Often the consumer, and more particularly the operator, can offer crucial information that can be utilized with the error code information to find the root cause of the failure. A thorough evaluation will conclude if the repair can be done on-site or if the drive requires to take to the service centre.
In various conditions, the control side will be functional; it is generally the power side, which fails, as this has to carry out the bulk of the work. However, it is necessary that all parts like IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), diodes, and capacitors, which form the speed control features heart within a VFD, be in fully functional order.
Additionally, it is crucial to check the fixed part as well, in condition, there is a cable or a winding fault, which causes problems within the drive. These checks involve control software verification to ensure that it is fulfilling the application requirements. In some conditions improvements can be done to the software, which will progress performance and efficiency, delivering more advantages to the customer.
It is important to perform regular maintenance of VSDs while the drive is functional. Not only does it identify the problem, but it may also even offer solutions, which can be implemented rapidly. Regular maintenance reduces the chances of VFD failure and breakdown. With over 10 years of experience in electronic drive control units repair, CM Industry Supply Automation can offer a cost-effective package for regular maintenance and complete repair service of Variable Speed Drive - VSD or Variable Frequency Drives - VFD.
Modern Variable Speed Drives take benefit of new, advanced efficiency motor designs, like SynRM (synchronous reluctance motors), which have no rotor losses. These motors work with 40% lower losses when we compare them to a conventional induction motor, thus replacing old drives is sensible for your industrial automation business.
According to Lenze Drive, the lower losses permit motor construction in two variations. The primary is an IE4 super premium efficiency motor that matches usual motor frame sizes and the second is a High Output (HO) design that is two frame sizes lesser for similar power. Both of these motor designs are very lighter and quieter as compared to usual squirrel cage designs.
Benefits of replacing old drives
Depending on yearly working hours, energy price, and the use of today's driving technology, such as flux optimization, the payback time for replacing an ordinary AC motor and VSD with a Lenze high-efficiency motor and state-of-the-art VSD might be less than twelve months and up to thirty-six months.
There are many more benefits of replacing old drives and motors:
More energy competent as today’s motors are just about 3% more efficient than their predecessors.
Superior motor control as today’s drives makes higher quality output waveforms, therefore reducing motor losses by ten to fifteen percent.
Lower running expense as it is likely that conventional motors and drives from any makers will begin to face breakdowns. It might be advantageous to cut your maintenance cost and replace the motors and drives. This has the benefit of broadening the warranty.
Higher reliability because their lower part count means new drives last longer and help decrease downtime. Similarly, high competence motors are likely to run cooler, thus enlarging the lifetime and intervals between maintenance.
Smaller size as a modern drive carries out much more power, size for size. Sometimes, a new drive can be a third of the size of a drive, which is only a few years older. This saves precious space when replacing the drive.
Modern technology
Modern technology refers to the users with modern drives and motors, which can take advantage of recently introduced features. This can cut down the energy consumption in pump and fan applications by ten percent or more. In addition, they offer more communications protocols to advance communications and integration.
Other considerations
VFD repair is another option as a good repaired unit can last longer. However, it depends on many factors such as parts availability, model, or sizing of the drive and the level of damage. Spare parts are often available even for conventional models and thus may be a cheap option.
Determining the actual cause of the drive failure is often overlooked. Sometimes environmental problems such as temperature, humidity, dust, and exposure to corrosion must be considered first. Other failures usually take place in the external part of VFD.
Drives protection and precautionary maintenance are important and should never be underestimated.
Stepper motor or Servo Motor - Which is best for your application?
Nowadays it is difficult to pick the best motor for an application in the industrial marketplace. The information available on websites is either very simple or technical. A stepper motor refers to a type of brushless DC motor, which is designed to offer a definite number of definite steps per revolution. Based on the number of pulses received, the stepper motor will move in the forward or reverse direction, every time it is pulsed by the stepper controller.
Pros of Stepper motors
A stepper motor can provide open-loop positioning, one of the biggest advantages as compared to open-loop induction motors, which don't offer "positioning". There is no feedback involved in most of the stepper motors and that's the reason for the lower overall cost of a stepper and control solution.
Also, the stepper motor can be operated with a DC-powered stepper drive which is advantageous for industrial applications. There is no need for larger inverters, which input 230/460VAC or bulky fusing, and cabling as well.
Limits of stepper motors
Stepper motors can ‘lose’ position if it does not offer sufficient torque to move the shaft and load. It can even occur at high speeds where the stepper motor goes very rapidly to lock in at each step.
Steppers do not keep any kind of known positioning when they are powered down. Thus, they have to finish a homing routine each time they are powered up. You can experience this while turning on your printer at home. In brief, stepper motors are perfect for some industries and small power applications that range from adjustable conveyors, 3D printers, and small metering pumps.
What is a servo motor?
While servomotors refer to a motor, which is controlled with feedback. These motors include a stator like an induction motor, but their rotors are made with unusual earth magnets. This cuts down the slip present in induction motors and permits the servo motor to operate at the synchronous speed set by the frequency and number of poles.
Pros of servomotors
AC servo motors use rare earth permanent magnets, so they offer the best-in-class torque density. This is preferred for very dynamic motor applications that must accelerate and decelerate quickly. Servo motors include some sort of feedback, whether it is a resolver or encoder. The shaft feedback is critical because it is used in the servo controller to control rotor position and torque.
Unlike a stepper motor, servomotors can offer momentary peak torque across their speed range. Peak torque of servo motor can be highly significant in particular applications and can cause an optimized motor selection. Also, AC servo motors run at much quicker speeds as compared to stepper motors.
Crucial motion control applications, which include functional safety and the handling of vital or pricey products must utilize servo motors with feedback. The low price advantage of a stepper motor/control can't justify the danger of injury or product breakdown. In packaging machines, robotics, material handling, servo motors are highly used.
Limits of servo motors
The main cons of servo motors as compared to stepper motors is the cost of the motor and the connected drive, which controls it. This is mainly factual for smaller power applications. If there is no need for precision and high torque overload in an application that the servo motor provides, then a stepper motor is possibly the good choice.
Servomotors are best for some industries and applications such as forming machines, packaging machines, powering conveyor systems, metal cutting, and robotics.
Stepper Motor Repair and Servo Motors Repair
CM Industry Supply Automation offers complete Stepper Motor Repair and Servo Motor Repair from a machine tool or an assembly operation.
We have a specialist servo repair department that offers in-house servo motor repairs from different manufacturers such as Lenze, KEB, Siemens, ABB, Allen Bradley, Indramat, Kollmorgen, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, Bosch, Elau, and more.
Contact us now for more details.
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CM Industry Supply Automation are supplier and repair services provider of drives, VFD drive (variable frequency drive), VSD (variable speed drive), inverter, frequency converter, ac drive, servo drive, servo motor, industrial drives, industrial drives and controls, industrial drives and applications, high-power servomotor, high torque DC servo motor, high-power servo drives, high frequency drives, of some well-known brands that include:
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