New generation soft starter ranges

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August 2025 Motion Control & Drives

Schneider Electric has launched its new generation Altivar ATS430 and ATS490 soft starter ranges in Anglophone Africa, the latest innovations in motor control technology.

Didier Kayembe, offer manager for Variable Speed Drives and Speed Drive Systems for Anglophone Africa explains that the ATS430 and ATS490 soft starters represent the core and premium variants respectively in the company’s soft starter offering. These advanced solutions are designed to meet the diverse needs of industrial and infrastructure applications, offering unparalleled performance, efficiency and reliability. He adds that the ATS430 soft starter is tailored for industrial applications in discrete manufacturing. It integrates seamlessly into automation architectures, making it ideal for applications that demand enhanced energy and motor monitoring.

Best-in-class motor control

“The Altivar Soft Starter ATS430 is perfect for industrial applications from 4 to 400 kW. It provides best-in-class motor control, reliable operation and simplicity while reducing the overall cost of the equipment,” he continues. “This range also integrates the essentials of the future, such as cybersecurity best practices and condition monitoring features.”

On the other hand, the ATS490 soft starter is specifically designed for process manufacturing and infrastructure environments where operational resilience is critical. It provides advanced motor control with features such as energy, power and condition monitoring, ensuring optimal performance in high-stress environments. The ATS490 is suited for process manufacturing and infrastructure applications from 4 to 900 kW, such as water treatment plants, mining operations and large-scale HVAC systems. This range was designed with high durability in mind and the innovative features of ATS490 lead to optimisation of project costs and operational expenditures with a high level of digitisation.

Benefits and features of the Altivar ATS430 soft starter include:

• Delivers best-in-class motor control with torque control for smooth acceleration/deceleration.

• Increased reliability by design to withstand high stress and avoid limiting events.

• Meets cybersecurity standards by integrating best practice features that contribute to downtime reduction.

• Embeds a complete monitoring of the system, including the motor, the application and the power and energy with an accuracy better than 95%.

• Reduced carbon footprint with 99,5% efficiency thanks to integrated bypass relays, and power and energy monitoring.

For the Altivar ATS490 the benefits and features include:

• Simplifies project design with certified cybersecurity and SIL1 Safe Torque Off functionality, eliminating the need for line contactors.

• Embedded condition monitoring of the soft starter and of the application to reduce downtime and cost.

• Provides advanced motor management with a holistic vision.

• Reduced carbon footprint with 99,5% efficiency thanks to integrated bypass relays and power and energy monitoring.

• Application-specific functions such as jog mode, anti-jam and borehole pump starting.

“Schneider Electric’s ATS430 and ATS490 soft starters represent a significant step forward in motor control technology, empowering businesses to achieve greater efficiency, reliability and sustainability,” concludes Kayembe.

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