Motor Management

More Information about Motor Management

Reliability-centered maintenance is an important component of motor management. It involves planning and executing preventive maintenance activities based on the criticality of the motors and their associated systems. By proactively identifying and addressing potential issues, reliability-centered maintenance helps prevent unexpected failures, extends equipment lifespan, and improves overall system reliability.

Motor management also incorporates monitoring and diagnostics. Through the use of software tools and monitoring devices, motor performance and health can be tracked and assessed. This enables predictive maintenance, where maintenance actions are taken based on actual equipment condition rather than fixed time intervals. By detecting early signs of potential issues, motor management helps optimize maintenance efforts, minimize downtime, and maximize equipment availability.

Efficient motor management systems often feature flexible communications capabilities, allowing for seamless integration with other control and monitoring systems. This facilitates data exchange, remote monitoring, and centralized control, enabling comprehensive motor management across the entire facility or manufacturing infrastructure.

In recent years, the development of motor management technologies has enabled significant advancements in motor control, energy efficiency, and overall system optimization. These advancements have simplified the process of maintaining and managing motors, providing companies with valuable tools to enhance motor performance, reduce energy costs, and improve operational efficiency.

FAQs

What is smart motor control?

Smart motor control refers to the integration of advanced technologies and intelligent features into motor control systems. It involves the use of digital control, communication, and automation capabilities to enhance the performance, efficiency, and functionality of electric motor operations.

Motor Control Basics

Motor control allows operational control of electrical motors in various environments. 

Motor control circuits provide a safe way to operate electrical motors. Back when motor control circuits were in their infancy, it would have been common to see a simple disconnect switch that would be used to turn on and off a motor. Depending on the size of the motor and how much voltage was required, operating this disconnect would have been dangerous, with a very high possibility of arcing or electrocution. Not to mention that when the disconnect was actuated, the large amount of inrush current would have damaged the motor over time.

In today's motor control circuits, there are a few common pieces of hardware. 

A circuit breaker is used to protect the motor and any hardware downstream. A contactor and an overload relay are connected together and function in tandem to allow for remote and safe operation of the motor. The contactor functions much like a relay, allowing for a smaller electrical circuit to remotely close the motor contacts, starting the motor. The overload relay is designed to protect the motor in the case of a prolonged overcurrent event. These two devices are wired in series, so that if the overload relay detects an overcurrent event, the contactor will open the motor contacts, shutting off power to the motor.

The other two most common types of motor control hardware are a soft starter and a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). 

Both of these devices function in a similar way to the motor circuit with some added functions. The soft starter is designed to reduce large inrush current to the motor upon startup. This “soft starting” of the motor will prolong its life and allow for safer operation. The VFD performs the soft start functions, but also allows for speed control of the motor. This speed control is critical in many different environments and has made VFDs one of the most common and safe to use motor control circuits today.