AuCom Electronics is a New Zealand company that specialises in the design and manufacture of soft start solutions for AC induction motors. The company is renowned for its flexibility, engineering skills and the reliability of its products. Its products represent some of the latest soft start technology which is tested in the most challenging environments.
AuCom entered the motor control field by acquiring manufacturing rights for an electronic motor energy saving device developed by the American space agency NASA. AuCom engineers adapted the technology for use with three phase induction motors and patented the enhanced technology worldwide. By integrating the new soft start technology with energy saving algorithms, the company produced an effective range of industrial motor controllers. This was one of the world's first commercial production of a complete and economical soft starter range.
AuCom continues to lead the way with new features and smarter solutions, working with partners worldwide to improve the quality and sophistication of soft starters available in the market. AuCom has partnered with CHI Control Components since 1996, working together to provide a high level of service backed by a certified international service centre.
CHI Control Components has supplied AuCom soft starters to many high-profile customers throughout South Africa in a wide variety of industries. These include mining, food and beverage, petrochemical, electronics, mining and metals, agriculture, and shipping.
All AuCom soft starters are manufactured in its ISO9001:2000 accredited factory in New Zealand. These products are designed and tested to IEC 60947-4-2 and other international standards. In addition to being tested in the field before release, every unit is individually tested before dispatch.
AuCom offers a comprehensive range of soft starters for motors from 1 kW to 10 MW and supplies from 230 V to 11 kV. There is a range of starting and stopping profiles, and motor protection to suit specific applications.
For straightforward applications, CSXi compact soft starters provide simple and reliable motor starting and protection. In addition to constant current start control, these soft starters provide the most essential forms of motor protection, including phase loss, phase sequence, excess start time and advanced motor thermal modelling.
The CSXi is small, making it easy to install, while rotary switches facilitate configuration. Internal bypass relays eliminate heat dissipation during run, reducing the need for ventilation in enclosures. Easy-to-install interfaces allow full integration with Profibus, Modbus and DeviceNet networks.
For applications requiring comprehensive motor protection or more extensive monitoring, AuCom's IMS2 soft starters provide a total motor starting solution. In simple installations, commissioning requires only one parameter to be set, whereas in advanced applications an extensive range of functions makes the IMS2 suitable for almost every motor starting and control application.
The IMS2 combines high-level functionality with flexibility and ease of use. Selectable soft start and soft stop profiles ensure optimum control for all load types. The unique torque control system gives more linear acceleration than standard constant current, and a special pump control function reduces water hammer.
AuCom's MVS medium voltage soft starter offers some of the latest advances in medium voltage motor control, providing advanced soft start functionality, complete motor and system protection, and an extensive user interface.
Safety features of MVS soft starters include fibre-optic firing, and electrical isolation of low voltage control circuits and high voltage power assemblies. These are robust and compact, and can be individually withdrawn for easy maintenance. MVS starters mount easily into custom switchboards or can be supplied as a built-up panel ready for commissioning.
With independent certification to relevant international standards, including Lloyds Register approval, MVS Series soft starters provide proven performance for many medium voltage motor installations.
CSX, CSXi, IMS2 and MVS soft starters have been designed to integrate seamlessly into motor control networks using protocols such as Profibus, DeviceNet, and Modbus. IMS2 has Modbus support as standard, and plug-in interfaces are available for CSX and MVS Series starters.
A free, purpose-designed software package for the CSX, CSXi, IMS2 and MVS series allows up to 99 soft starters to be monitored and controlled across a network.
Soft starters extend equipment life and reduce maintenance and downtime. They can reduce electrical and mechanical stress throughout a system and are generally cheaper than other methods of motor control. These products operate by controlling the current delivered to a motor, which then controls the torque, so the motor accelerates smoothly.
It is worth considering a soft starter rather than a variable speed drive for applications requiring soft start or soft stop control, with constant running speed. For a given motor size, a soft starter will be considerably cheaper than a drive. Variable speed drives control the voltage and frequency delivered to the motor, controlling motor torque and reducing the current level during starting. While they can control the speed of the motor during operation and can provide excellent soft start and soft stop functionality, they are much more complex than soft starters and are much more expensive. They can also introduce harmonic distortion onto the power network.
Soft starters avoid the severe switchover current and torque transients that occur with star-delta starters. Instead, they provide gentle, consistent control of the current delivered to the motor, from zero to full speed.
Most soft starters also include motor protection features, whereas star-delta starter installations require external motor protection, which is an additional expense if protection is required. Because of the low starting torque, star-delta starters can generally only be used for applications with a light starting load. Soft starters that support six-wire connection can replace star-delta starters with no major changes to the motor connection.
For more information contact Rob Hare, CHI Control Components, +27 (0) 11 824 7400, [email protected], www.chicontrol.co.za
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