A Guide to Selecting AC Drives

An AC motor drive can be defined as a frequency inverter that interfaces between a controller and a motor. It converts the input given by the controller to a certain voltage that is compatible with the motor. Hence, the AC drive is also called variable frequency drive as it effectively adjusts input frequency. If you need this device for your business, then it's important to know about all the different criteria in order to make the right selection. 

To aid you further, the types, designs, and features of AC drives are addressed below.

Types of AC Drives

AC drives are classified based on the type of AC motor it utilizes, which include induction, synchronous, sensorless vector, and servo motors.

Induction Motors: These motors are applicable for various environments and are capable of providing significant power and variable speed control. Essentially, the current in the motor is induced into the rotor windings without getting in contact with the stator windings.

Synchronous Motors: These motors are often used in applications that need an exact, invariable motor speed as they operate at constant speed up to full load.

Sensorless Vector: This device provides independent control of both motor voltage and frequency, providing low-speed torque and good speed control. 

Servo Motors: These are a kind of permanent magnet synchronous motors that employ brushless commutation.

Design Specifications

Similar to a wide variety of motor drives, there is also a broad range of design specifications to consider when looking for an AC drive. These include supply and output voltage, continuous current, input frequency, power, operating temperature, and other important characteristics such as the mounting configuration and accompanying features.

 Drive Features

 When it comes to features of the motor drive, here are some important things to consider:

• Regeneration: A motor acts as both a motor and generator under some conditions.

• Programmability and configuration

• Auto-restart: This feature will automatically resolve current overload and other errors that occur while using a VFD.

Thus, with the help of all this essential information, you can make a more informed choice and select an AC drive that is suitable for your operations. 

Be it AC drives, variable speed drives, or highly efficient gear motors, you can find it all at Bauer GMC, a company giant known for innovation and quality. Browse through our product catalogue or contact us directly for a quote.