Energy consultants TEPM, on behalf of Ray & Sons Electrical and Chromoflo, recently called Adroit Technologies to assist in solving an energy-related problem they were experiencing on some large fans. Brad Campbell, sales engineer at Adroit Technologies said, “I was quite nervous initially as the energy saving claims made by Mitsubishi were fairly aggressive, and I felt that both my and the company’s reputations were at stake. These were large drives and it meant a lot to me to ensure that we were successful.”
Chromoflo ordered two 110 kW variable speed drives to be installed on some extraction fans at the factory. The biggest problem they were having was that the incoming power from the city supply was only rated at 800 A, which meant that due to high starting currents, it was difficult to start the factory, let alone when the power was down and a smaller standby generator had to be used.
The before and after values are summarised in the table.
“The most impressive feature is the percentage reduction in current drawn from the supply, significant power saving with only a small impact on overall performance,” said TEPM’s David Baudains.
These results were without even taking advantage of the patented Optimal Excitation Control (OEC) technology incorporated in most Mitsubishi VSDs. When the drives were then tuned to the motors and run as based on the amount of air the fans were required to deliver for the given process requirements, further savings were realised.
Adcor Fans did an independent verification which found that running the VSDs at 50 Hz yielded a 31% reduction in power for an overall 4% reduction in airflow, while reducing this to 47 Hz whenever possible increased the energy saving to 42% for an overall 5% reduction in airflow.
In terms of return on investment, the annual savings with the plant running eight hours per day, five days per week for 49 weeks of the year was estimated at R70 000 per annum, i.e. a payback of less than one year.
Dave Wibberley, managing director of Adroit Technologies concluded: “Having researched and verified data such as this is extremely valuable to potential users, as it is customer-to-customer research and not just vendor marketing speak. We believe Mitsubishi has the best energy saving and quality product on the market. We have shown it time and time again under both harsh environmental and power conditions.”
Solving common automation challenges with Festo’s servo drive and servo motor solutions Festo South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Automation projects face challenges that include limited installation space, the need for precise and repeatable linear motion, rising cycle-speed demands, and seamless integration with existing control architectures. Festo’s servo portfolio directly addresses these issues with compact, modular drive and motor solutions designed for specific applications.
Read more...Inside the Giant Magellan Telescope with mechanical engineering at astronomical scale
Motion Control & Drives
Construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, set to become the world’s largest Gregorian optical infrared telescope, is well underway. While its scientific mission is to transform astronomy, its performance depends heavily on advanced mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic engineering.
Read more...Filtration as a reliability driver in motion control systems Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
This article highlights the importance of filtration in motion control systems, how contamination affects performance, and what fleet managers, operators and maintenance teams in southern Africa can do to reduce downtime, avoidable wear and costly repairs, aided by Baldwin Filters.
Read more...Supporting construction of next-gen floating offshore wind turbines
Motion Control & Drives
While windy locations naturally make ideal spots for offshore wind farms, they bring challenges when it comes to assembling wind turbines, particularly in ports. Mammoet was approached by Euroports to support with the marshalling and assembly of the components that make up the three turbines at Port-la-Nouvelle in France.
Read more...Rollers excel where profits balance on a knife edge igus
Motion Control & Drives
Polymer component specialist manufacturer, igus has developed a range of lubrication-free long-life knife edge rollers designed to improve the transfer of products between conveyor belts in high-speed production environments.
Read more...Bringing physical AI to the factory floor by deploying humanoids in industrial operations Siemens South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens and Humanoid have marked a landmark milestone in the journey to bring physical AI from vision to industrial reality. Humanoid’s humanoid robothas been successfully tested in operations at Siemens’ electronics factory in Germany, performing autonomous logistics tasks.
Read more...Next-generation oil-free motor systems with active magnetic bearings WEG Africa
Motion Control & Drives
WEG and SpinDrive are collaborating to integrate SpinDrive’s AMBs and built-in IoT condition monitoring into WEG’s market-leading electric motor offering, creating an oil-free, maintenance-free drive solution.
Read more...Addressing cost, supply and disease pressures in Africa’s feed industry
Motion Control & Drives
Feed producers across Africa are operating in an increasingly complex and volatile environment. The pressures are forcing producers to rethink how they operate, balancing cost control, production efficiency and the need for greater flexibility in an unpredictable market.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version