Schneider Electric Altivar

More Information about Schneider Electric Altar VFDs

Altivar drives also provide advanced motor protection features. They include overload protection, phase loss detection, short-circuit protection, and thermal protection, ensuring the safety and longevity of connected motors. These protection mechanisms help prevent motor damage and extend the lifespan of equipment, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.

Schneider Electric Altivar drives offer flexible communication and integration options. They support various communication protocols, including Modbus, Ethernet, and CANopen, allowing seamless integration into different control systems and network architectures. This flexibility enables easy integration and interoperability with existing infrastructure, making them suitable for a wide range of applications.

The user-friendly interface of Altivar drives simplifies installation, configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting. They feature LCD displays, intuitive keypad controls, and parameter configuration wizards that streamline drive setup and operation. These user-friendly interfaces make it easier for operators and technicians to interact with the drives, reducing the learning curve and optimizing system performance.

Schneider Electric Altivar drives are equipped with diagnostic and maintenance tools to facilitate preventive maintenance and troubleshooting. They provide built-in diagnostic capabilities and advanced fault detection features that enable proactive monitoring and identify potential issues before they escalate. This helps minimize downtime, optimize system performance, and reduce maintenance costs.

Motor Starters, Soft Starters and VFDs

Motor Starters

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

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. 

VFDs

A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) allows for the slow ramp up of a motor during startup and the slowing down of the motor during shutdown. It also allows 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.