FEATURE DRIVES & CONTROLS VSDs offer an accurate solution
Variable speed drives (VSDs) from Vacon have been installed at a leading supplier of industrial mixers in order to accurately determine the current consumption and other electrical characteristics of its products
Left: to meet its requirements, Mixing Solutions contacted T A Boxall & Co and, after carefully analysing the requirements of the application, they proposed a solution based on the use of Vacon NXS-series AC variable speed drives
instantly recalled as required by using the drive’s auxiliary digital inputs. To meet Mixing Solutions’ full range of
testing needs, T A Boxall & Co produced a control panel for the project that incorporates two NXS drives, one rated 18.5kW, the other 75kW. This arrangement means that mixers with motor ratings from 2.2kW up to 75kW can be tested quickly and conveniently. The operation of the drive system is matched to the motor under test simply by using a switch on the panel to select the motor type.
M
ixing Solutions is a leading supplier of industrial mixers for world
markets based in Newbury, and when the company required a test system to ascertain the consumption and other electrical characteristics of its products, two AC variable speed drives from Vacon provided a solution that is versatile, convenient and cost effective. Mixing Solutions is a member of the
international PSML family of companies, and at its Newbury production site the company manufactures a wide range of industrial mixing machines for applications in the petrochemical, chemical, water treatment and other sectors - a large proportion of the machines being destined for export.
TESTING THE VARIABLES Prior to product despatch, an extensive testing process is carried out and, in 2010, the company decided that it would be useful to include in this testing, measurement of the electrical characteristics of the machines using exactly the same supply system as the site where the machine will ultimately be used. Since supply systems vary considerably around the world, this requirement presented a challenge - how to replicate those supply systems cost effectively for a wide range of motor sizes with a test rig that could be powered conveniently from the standard 415V 50Hz UK mains supply. In order to achieve this, Mixing Solutions employed the help of T A Boxall & Co and,
26 APRIL 2014 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
after analysing the requirements of the application, they proposed a solution based on the use of Vacon NXS-series AC variable speed drives. One feature of these drives that was
particularly useful for this project was the availability of the Multimotor 7add software option, which allows up to eight types of motor to be controlled from a single drive. When this option is used, the drive stores operating parameter sets that include, for example, full load current and power factor - for all eight of the motors - and these parameter sets can be
SUMMARY A spokesperson for Mixing Solutions said, “The Vacon drives in our new testing panel have made it easy and convenient for us to check the electrical characteristics of our mixers before despatch. With the drives, we can accurately simulate 50Hz and 60Hz 3- phase supplies over the voltage range 380V to 500V. This covers the supply systems for all of the markets we operate in but the drives could easily provide a much wider range of frequencies and voltages.” When the new testing system was first
installed at Mixing Solutions, the company envisaged that it would only be used to evaluate new designs and to test mixers destined for especially demanding or unusual applications. The system has, however, been found to be so convenient and easy to operate that it is now used to verify the performance of all mixers produced at the site.
Vacon
www.vacon.com T: 01455 611 515
Enter 213 Controllers for small industrial vehicles
The C3 and C3pump motor controller range from PG Drives Technology are well suited for small industrial vehicle applications including Class 3 pallet trucks and stackers. The C3 is a compact AC motor controller which is intended for Class 3 pallet trucks and stackers but is
equally suitable for small ride-on machines. The C3 is available in two power options (200Arms and 250Arms at 24V DC) thereby allowing the most cost effective solution for an application. The controller can be quickly matched to any AC induction motor via PG Drives Technology’s three step auto-commissioning sequence. The C3 can accept multiple types of throttle connections, including 2- or 3-wire resistive and voltage.
Inputs are available for direction switches, tiller switch, belly-button, seat switch, speed reduction and drive/hydraulic inhibit, as well as lift and lower signals - both switch and proportional types. The C3’s software controls all hydraulic functions and can cater for interlocking of the drive with a
lift/lower. Hydraulic functions can also be disabled in response to certain conditions. This capability reduces the possibility of battery damage as a result of deep discharge. To ensure maximum efficiency, an intelligent Hill-Hold algorithm only draws power from the battery if the vehicle starts to roll. The C3pump combines the 200/250Arms AC traction drive of the C3 with a 330A DC pump drive for
controlling the lifting hydraulics. C3pump features include multiple 2A outputs, two analogue inputs and eight switch inputs. The C3pump is also CAN tiller compatible as standard. Both C3 and C3pump are RoHS compliant and designed to meet EN 1175, EN 12895 and UL583.
PG Drives Technology
www.pgdt.com T: 01425 271 444 Enter 214
/ ELECTRICALENGINEERING
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