
Schneider Electric Altivar

Schneider Electric Altivar 340 ATV340 Machine Drives are designed for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that engineer high performance applications for 3 phase motors (with or without sensor) from 1 to 100 HP.
Schneider Electric Altivar 312 ATV312 AC Drives are designed to make commercial and industrial machines more energy efficient. They are ideally suited for packaging, material handling, food and beverage and other OEM machines. They come standard with integrated communications ports for CANopen and Modbus networks and optional cards for DeviceNet, Profibus DP and CANopen Daisy Chain.
Schneider Electric Altivar 212 ATV212 Dedicated Fan and Pump AC Drives are designed for centrifugal fan and pump applications and have Reduced Harmonic Technology to mitigate harmonics.
Schneider Electric Altivar 12 ATV12 Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) fit into very small spaces and feature integrated communications ports, navigation wheels on the faceplate and optional multi-loaders that streamlines set-up by making programming quick and easy.
Schneider Electric Altivar 61 VFDs are part of the Altivar Process ATV600 family and provide variable torque from 1 to 900 HP for pump and fan applications.
Schneider Electric Altivar 71 VFDs are part of the Altivar Process ATV900 family and provide constant torque from 1 to 700 HP for heavy duty applications.
Products
Motor starters safely start and stop a motor in industrial applications. They are designed with a contactor, overload and circuit protection. They are used when basic motor control is required, where torque on the motor is not a concern and speed control is not needed. The advantages of motor starters include: lower cost, allows for remote operation, allows for monitoring of motor state (with the use of auxiliary contacts) and they are safe and efficient. The disadvantages include: high inrush current that can cause fuses to blow and breakers to trip if the inrush is too high, and the starter will allow a full torque to start the motor which can cause the motor to ramp up to full speed very quickly potentially causing the motor to wear and degrade prematurely.
Soft starters protect motors from inrush current by gently ramping up the motor to full speed. They provide all of the same functions as a traditional motor starter. The advantages of soft starters include: they are less expensive than a VFD when only startup control is needed, they are a smaller system than a VFD where space is a concern and they prevent unwanted torque upon startup, prolonging the life of the motor. The disadvantages include: they are more expensive than a traditional motor starter and they do not allow for full speed control.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) allow for the slow ramp up of a motor during startup and the slowing down of the motor during shutdown. They also allow for full speed control during the entire run cycle of the motor. VFDs provide the same functions as both the traditional motor starters and soft starters. The advantages of VFDs include: full speed control (start, stop and in-between), more custom control and monitoring, energy savings due to efficient motor usage and less wear and tear on the motors. The disadvantages include: they are more expensive and larger than other motor control options and they generate heat that may require fans or AC units.