Soft starter incorporates adaptive acceleration

Second Quarter 2008 Electrical switching & drive systems & components

Soft starters are maturing as more sophisticated units perform soft start and stop functions with greater control, more protection and detailed feedback. The AuCom EMX3 Soft Starter from CHI Control Components adds new motor management capabilities in the form of XLR-8, Adaptive Acceleration Control. This new technology offers a high level of control over a motor’s acceleration and deceleration profiles. Using this capability the soft starter learns the motor’s performance during start and stop and subsequently adjusts control to optimise performance.

To adapt the starter to the user application various start functions are available, including XLR-8, constant current, current ramp and kickstart. Stop functions include XLR-8, timed voltage ramp, brake mode and coast.

The protection provided by this starter is extensive and highly customisable, supporting motor thermal modelling, thermistor input, frequency, phase sequencing, under- and over-current and many other protective settings.

While soft starters are becoming increasing feature-rich, AuCom has taken steps to ensure that commissioning, operation and fault finding are still quick and easy. Quick setup mode gets machinery running speedily, and informative screens advise the operator on motor performance.

The EMX3 Soft Starters are compact, saving installation costs by minimising panel space requirements. Their design and flexible cabling options permit multiple units to be mounted side by side, or in a bank of starters.

The soft starter has been designed to suit a wide range of applications. The XLR-8 technology works well with low inertia loads such as conveyors and pumps where soft stopping can substantially reduce or eliminate the effects of water hammer. Additionally the starter is suitable for high inertia loads such as circular saws and ball mills as the Adaptive Acceleration Control allows precise control over the motor’s stopping time. Shorter stopping times help improve production efficiency by reducing downtime between operating cycles. The starter is also suitable for pump control in high head applications, compressor operation, band saw control and on irrigators, where its built-in timer proves beneficial.

For more information contact Rob Hare, CHI Control Components, +27 (0)11 824 7400, [email protected], www.chicontrol.co.za

Further reading:

Understanding standby, prime and continuous gensets
WEG Africa Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The increasing reliance of South African businesses on generator sets to mitigate power disruptions highlights a crucial need for proper selection based on specific operational demands. Despite their growing usage, there is still widespread confusion about how to choose the appropriate genset, often leading to inefficient and costly decisions.

Read more...

---

PC-based control for advanced hydrogen storage technology
Beckhoff Automation Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The proportion of renewable energies from solar, wind and water is rising continuously. However, sufficient storage options are of the essence to use these energies as efficiently as possible. GKN Hydrogen offers a particularly compact and safe option, low-pressure metal hydride hydrogen storage systems with PC-based control from Beckhoff.

Read more...

---

Axiom reaches new heights
Axiom Hydraulics Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
When Rula Bulk Handling could not source a cable tensioner large enough for a new cableway, the engineers knew they had to come up with an inventive solution. After discovering that no such tensioner was immediately available, Rula approached Axiom Hydraulics and ifm to assist with building their own.

Read more...

---

Local range of planetary units
SEW-EURODRIVE Electrical switching & drive systems & components
s SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa actively extends its offerings to customers, the SEW PPK and SEW P2.e industrial gearbox ranges are good examples of solutions that are well suited to the local business environment.

Read more...

---

At least 60 million strokes
Horne Technologies Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Designing and constructing compact automation systems is one of the core activities of the Austrian machine manufacturer, STIWA. Its modular LTM-CI system has been optimised for small parts assembly. Linear and rotating micromotors from Faulhaber perform key tasks in these systems.

Read more...

---

Innovative five-axis laser precession scanner
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Motion control specialist, Aerotech has launched the AGV5D, an innovative five-axis laser precession scanner specially developed for laser micromachining. This makes it possible to create high-precision bores, contoured slots and other complex geometries with dimensional tolerances in the sub-micrometre range.

Read more...

---

A leap forward in electrohydrostatic pump technology
Customized Motion Controls Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Moog has launched the EPU-G, the latest addition to its Electrohydrostatic Pump Unit portfolio.

Read more...

---

Minetruck with electric drivetrain combines power and innovation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The new Minetruck MT66 S eDrive is the first of Epiroc’s large-capacity mine trucks to feature the latest generation electric drivetrain. Along with an upgraded and powerful diesel engine, the hauler combines the cost-effectiveness of a traditional mine truck with the productivity of an electric one, without requiring changes to a mine’s infrastructure.

Read more...

---

Modular hydraulic control blocks for brake actuation
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Electrohydraulic brake release valves are exposed to extreme loads, and can become uncontrollable in the event of a power failure. The experts at WEBER-HYDRAULIK GMBH have developed a practical, modular solution that ensures the safety of construction machinery, and is also suitable for a wide range of other vehicles with hydrostatic drive systems.

Read more...

---

Modular assembly platform for clean manufacturing
Beckhoff Automation Electrical switching & drive systems & components
JR Automation delivers custom automated solutions for numerous industries. It has done this through its scalable, modular automation platform, FlexChassis, which speeds up time to market while cutting costs. The company chose the XTS linear transport system from Beckhoff because of its speed, and modular design that allows for multiple configurations.

Read more...

---