Sensorless Vector Drive – Benefits

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 October 2011 08:07 Written by caro3 Thursday, 20 October 2011 08:07

Sensorless vector drives enable engineers to enhance the performance of industrial motors, reduce energy consumption, and meet federal government guidelines that are geared toward increased energy efficiency in industrial settings. How are sensorless drives beneficial? When permanent magnet synchronous motors are used, sensors are often installed or attached to the motor shaft to detect accurate speed and position. Magnetic resolvers and absolute encoders are just a couple of the types of sensors used with these drives. Unfortunately, using sensors can also cause an increase in noise, weight, cost, complexity of design/operation, and reduce reliability on the motor drive. With sensorless vector drives, however, there’s no need for sensors so these challenges are eliminated.

Some sensorless control products such as the N3 Series Teco AC Drive can be operated in several modes-constant torque, variable torque, or sensorless vector mode to give maximum flexibility in a variety of applications. Speak with a sales engineer or distributor (e.g. Carotron, Inc.) if you’re thinking of moving forward with a sensorless vector drive. Consider the pros and cons, cost, potential energy savings, and any installation needs and expenses. Compare features, specifications, typical applications, etc. to make sure it’s the right type of drive for your operation.

DC Drives – Regenerative Control for Energy Savings

Last Updated on Thursday, 6 October 2011 08:52 Written by caro5 Thursday, 6 October 2011 08:52

Can a motor also be a generator in and of itself? With DC drives that have regenerative control – yes, it can. While there are applications that require non-regen drives, any that can use a regen DC drive should be considered for energy and cost savings as well as longer life for the drive and/or motor. What is regenerative control? It’s a motor braking process during which energy is regenerated, and the energy output is supplied to an electrical load. The energy is recovered by slowing down the motor, so that energy recycling takes place automatically.

DC drives that are phase-controlled can revert mechanical energy from an armature. These also revert the rotating load back onto the AC power line. The rotation of the load is slowed by the reversal of the motor’s current, with braking action. To achieve regeneration, regen DC drives must be running and be energized. Though regenerative DC drives are typically more costly to install than non-regen drives, many plants and facilities find that the long-term money and energy savings make these types of motor drives well worth the investment. Some industrial control manufacturers such as Carotron, Inc. make multiple lines of regen and non-regen DC drives as well as system interface modules, etc.

PLC Programming for PID Loops

Last Updated on Monday, 18 July 2011 07:16 Written by caro3 Monday, 18 July 2011 07:16

Do you need to turn PID loops into web applications using PLC programming? These applicatons are often times consuming and tedious. And further more, writing PLC code for PID type functions can be even more difficult as well as expensive. Just think of all that’s involved in this process: various algorithms to choose from, converting information from a machine such as line speed, motor speed, package diameter, web tension, etc. to a form that’s workable for a PLC, coding, debuggin, and much more.

Thankfully, there’s a much better way to achieve this! Micro-controllers such as the Cortex LT by Carotron, Inc. can meet this application easily and affordably. Imagine a powerful digital signal processor that can handle various functions with speed and accuracy. This controller comes equipped with Cortex LT Link Software and a serial cable, which allow for specific application PLC programming. PLC programming can be selected, configured and downloaded to the controller’s hardware for use. There are advanced features as well. With a micro-controller that works with almost all industrial drives that use PLC programming for operation, you can help minimize downtime during production processes, free up time for employees to tackle other tasks and save money through improved efficiency.

Benefits of Motor Control PDF Files

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 08:06 Written by caro3 Tuesday, 14 June 2011 08:06

Thanks to online motor control PDF files, you never have to go far to view important information about industrial control products. This means you can troubleshoot and find products to match your facility’s needs without having to contact numerous distributors and manufacturers one by one. Manufacturers such as Carotron, Inc. provide easy access to online PDF files that display manuals and brochures for products such as the CTCW (constant tension center wind) Card, the Cortex and Cortex LT, the MicroManager Series, Multiplier and Divider Cards, Frequency-to-Voltage Converters and many others.

Brochures include crucial information such as signal outputs, electrical specifications, physical specifications, shipping weight, features, connections, dimensions, and more. This gives you insight about the products’ features before having to call a sales rep. Once you find a motor control product that seems to be the right fit, then you can contact a sales engineer if you need further assistance with the installation. Use a basic Google search to find specific motor control PDF files for your needs or go directly to the manufacturer’s website at Carotron.com to find what you’re looking for quickly.

Four Quadrant Motor Control

Last Updated on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 06:55 Written by caro3 Tuesday, 14 June 2011 06:55

In industrial motor control, it’s important to understand how DC and/or AC motors work, depending on which type you’re using in an application. A motor has four areas of operation, which are often referred to as “quadrants.” These quadrants represent the different modes of operation as well as the directions of operation. There are two modes: acceleration and deceleration. A motor has two quadrants for the torque that’s applied to the direction of the motor’s motion, and two others for the torque that being applied in an opposite direction of the motion. So energy flows from electrical to mechanical with two of the quadrants, but with the other two, the motor begins to act as a generator, converting the motion into power.

In this process, a motor drive can be used to absorb the power and keep things running smoothly. If your industrial facility uses DC or AC motors, there are motor drives that offer four quadrant motor control. With this type of application, the drive will provide precise control in both directions. It achieves this by sourcing and sinking the motor’s electrical energy. Look for a manufacturer of motor control products that makes high quality drives with four quadrant motor control for speed and torque accuracy during operation.

Extruder Controller

Last Updated on Wednesday, 8 June 2011 05:36 Written by caro3 Wednesday, 8 June 2011 05:36

An extrusion machine, or extruder, is often used in industrial settings to push various types of material (particularly plastics) through a heating chamber to melt it and then into a die to mould it. A fixed cross-sectional setting gives the material the desired look and feel. Some examples of products created using the extrusion process include vinyl siding, strands, films, sheets, piping and carpet fibres. Even many food products (such as cereals, dog food, etc.) are made using the extrusion process.

Various types of motion are used by the extruder to create the end products, depending on their shape and size. These processes may include rolling, winding, folding, spinning, and other methods.

Many extruders use a heavy duty DC motor to drive their power and speed. As with most industrial machinery, the motor can become overworked if not controlled by outside devices, such as a DC drive and/or extruder controller. An extruder controller helps to control the speed and torque to increase productivity and keep the motor running at a safe speed. With control systems in place, the life of the motor can be extended. Also, it reduces loss of material because the extrusion machine will be able to feed an adequate amount of material into the heating chamber and pressure will be maintained accurately as well.

So as you can see, an extruder controller can help your operation run more smoothly while keeping your motor in top shape!