AC Drives
Making sure that your electrical machinery is running at the peak of its performance is one of the most important aspects of running an industrial business.
To make sure that your machines are running well, you will also need to make sure that you have the equipment necessary to provide efficiency and productivity. For some companies, this might mean investing in DC drives. However, for many others, this means that you will have to invest in specific devices called AC drives and soft starters.
With that being said, before you can begin to plan to invest in these, you will first need to understand the purpose of each device, and how it can potentially benefit your business. After all, you probably don’t want to install something that you don’t know anything about.
What Is an AC Drive?
AC drives, also known as variable frequency drives (vfd) are fairly straightforward. An AC drive is a device that converts a DC power machine into one that runs on AC power. Ultimately, this will provide you with more precise control over the speed of the electrical motor inside the machine.
Depending on the type of machine you are working with, this can give you added productivity and higher-quality results from the machines. This also allows you to control how much power the machine is consuming, since you can make sure that the motor is working no harder than it needs to.
If you want to focus on having more control over the speed of your machine’s electrical motor, then you are going to want to look at variable frequency drives that fit your machinery. Industrial automation standards and trends are not easy to follow, so it’s fairly important to get hold of a specialist to help decide which drive is best for your requirements.
What Are Soft Starters?
Soft starters are actually devices that work hand in hand with AC drives. Usually, when you first start up a machine that has an AC electrical motor, there is a surge of electrical current during startup, and this is something that you will generally want to avoid if you can. Thankfully, soft starters are here to do exactly that.
The purpose of a soft starter is actually right in the name. They are designed to temporarily reduce the torque and load that the electrical surge of power brings on startup of the machine. This can easily prolong the life of your machinery, meaning that if your machines have AC electrical motors in them, you will definitely want to consider looking into a soft starter.
What Are the Benefits of These Devices?
Both of these devices can actually add a lot of potential to your industrial machinery. For example, the biggest benefit of an AC drive, as stated here, is the fact that it enables an industrial operator to have complete control over the direction, torque and speed of an induction motor machine.
As a result, the precision that you can get out of controlling the electrical motor, and the fact that your machinery will become much more energy efficient, are two very valuable aspects to take into account.
After all, when you are able to control the amount of power that your electrical motor needs, you won’t have to worry about wasting money on excess power. Instead, you can use that potentially saved money for bettering other parts of your industrial business. These are just a few of the reasons why you should consider getting an AC drive for your machinery.
Similarly, the benefits of soft starters include the fact that they can prolong the life of your machinery. When you are able to reduce the impact of the electrical surge that comes with the startup of the machine, you can make sure that your AC electrical motor doesn’t take the brunt of the surge.
This will eventually ensure that your motor is better able to stand up to the test of time, which means that you can save money by not replacing your motor as much. In the long run, being exposed to repeated electrical surges is something that can damage your electrical motor, making it all the more important for you to consider what some high-quality soft starters could do for your industrial business.
