Compact and Book Format Variable Frequency Drives

Many manufacturing engineers, whether designing and building packaging and production machines, material handling equipment, or other industrial equipment, incorporate variable frequency drives (VFDs) into their designs. VFDs are used where precise control of speed and torque is needed. This includes controlling a conveyor that is moving equipment based on the varying speeds of a production line, adjusting fan speeds based on airflow needs, and controlling hoists that transfer large components to their next workstation. Other applications include adjusting motor speeds to match output requirements for commercial and industrial HVAC systems, controlling speed and torque on a treadmill, pumps, and compressors used in wastewater plants, and a variety of high-speed machines.

A VFD is a uniquely designed motor control device that transforms a fixed AC source voltage into DC through a simple multi-component rectifier bridge, then through a capacitive stage and onto a bank of inductors which are used to invert the DC voltage back to frequency-controlled AC. This is done by varying the field on the stator and rotating its angle.

Schneider Electric offers a number of VFD drives; one line is the Altivar ATV320 series of products, which are available in sizes as small as 370 W to as large as 2.2 kW in single phase for 200-240 V operations (Figure 1). For three-phase, 200-240 V applications, the ATV320 VFDs are available from 750 W to 15 kW. These drive units are available for providing accurate torque and speed, even at very low speeds, which is what makes them so useful in a wide variety of industries. Units are also available with extended frequency ranges for high-speed motor operations such as textile machines and wire and cable manufacturing. Units are available for asynchronous and synchronous motors depending on the customer’s requirements.

Figure 1. The Schneider Electric ATV320 VFD line is available in compact and book form factors to facilitate an efficient use of space. (Image source: Schneider Electric)

One of the key selling factors of the ATV320 VFDs is that they are available in both compact and book form factors. This allows manufacturing engineers to easily design-in and install into a wide variety of cabinet types, which leads to cost savings when it comes to installation, repair, and replacement—an essential feature when working in any industry. These form factors lead to the efficient use of space, lowering the total overall machine footprint and saving on plant floor real estate. Components are also available with coated printed circuit boards for long-term use in harsh environmental conditions.

ATV320 drives feature over 150 functions depending on which drive you choose. Because the drives are integrated with the company’s EcoStruxure Machine through DTM and provide PLCopen-compliant libraries, units can be used to develop, configure, and set up your machine in one software platform. Combined with SoMachine and SoMove software, which also uses DTM, customers receive seamless integration, allowing for shorter engineering and design times. These drives provide straightforward integration into any system architecture, including Ethernet, CANopen, Profibus, and many others, depending on your specific application needs. A variety of mounting accessories and options are also available, including braking resistors, line chokes, motor chokes, and additional EMC filters.

Schneider Electric provides the ATV320s with its Green Premium™ label to indicate its commitment to maintaining environmental performance. Green Premium guarantees compliance with the latest regulations, transparency on environmental impacts, and circular and low-CO₂ products. The ATV320 drives are provided with IP20 and IP6x ratings to ensure they are extremely waterproof and fully dust-tight, making them ideal for harsh outdoor conditions or industrial settings where fine dust particles are present.

Several safety features are provided and can be configured using SoMove software for simple applications. ATV320 drives conform to international standards IEC/EN 61800-5-1 and IEC/EN 61800-3 (immunity and conducted and radiated EMC emissions) and are also CE, UL, CSA, NOM, EAC, and RCM certified.

Conclusion

Engineers are tasked with designing in components that meet the specifications necessary for the application at hand. Yet often, the inclusion of a particular device depends as much on form factor as it does capabilities. To that end, Schneider Electric provides a line of VFDs that are available in both compact and book format, making them ideal for use in a broad number of applications.