This blog looks at the subject of flicker, which can be seen as a matter of power quality or of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) depending on your point of view. We will consider whether variable speed drives can cause flicker and also where they can help to solve a flicker problem.“Flicker” refe

Motor windings can take many shapes or forms. However 3-phase distributed windings are the most commonly used in AC motors for industrial applications, which will be the focus of this article. The discussion which follows is equally applicable to the use of this type of winding in induction motors o

This set of two blogs looks at the use of screened (also referred to as shielded) cables for signal circuits. The subject was referred to in my EMC blog, and I promised to re-visit it in more detail.A later blog will discuss the screened power cable recommended for connecting the AC VSD to its motor

Part 1 considered the principles of how screened cables work to avoid interference from electric and magnetic fields. We now look at some more practical details.How to connect screened cablesBasicsAs described in Part 1, we need the screening to be effective over a very wide range of threat frequenc

In an industrial world that’s becoming ever more complex, technology is an enabler. It allows us to collect and make sense of data in new ways, leading us to make better decisions about how we run our businesses. Take the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for example.In under a century we’ve seen

Public electricity supplies are generally reliable, but they do suffer disturbances. Obviously a total loss of supply results in all electrical equipment stopping, unless it has a backup supply such as a UPS and/or backup generator connected. When the power returns the equipment re-starts from the o

The motor cable for a PWM variable speed drive can have  some unexpected effects. In this Blog I look at some special considerations which are needed when choosing and installing a motor cable for a VSD.Current ratingThe steady-state loaded motor current is not appreciably changed by using a VSD wit

The behaviour of the current and power in a variable speed drive system is not always well understood by users, especially the question of how the drive input and output currents change as the motor shaft speed and load change. In this blog we look at the basic behaviour of variable speed drives to

General principles of  safety functions in electronic equipmentThis blog gives an introduction to the use of variable speed drives in machinery safety functions. It is intended to help those who are familiar with a.c inverter drives but less so with safety-related control systems. It should help the

Health monitoring or condition monitoring has been used for many years on machines and plant where the cost of an outage is high. It can allow failures to be anticipated and maintenance or repairs to be scheduled for the least loss of production, as well as avoiding unnecessary periodic maintenance.

Proper sizing is a crucial aspect of motor selection. If a motor is undersized, it will not be able to control the load, leading to overshoot and ringing.Over-sizing a system is as bad as under-sizing – it may control the load but it will also be larger and heavier, as well as more expensive i

According to a commonly consulted hierarchy of controls, people’s safety in the workplace is dependent on various types of protective measure. The most effective of these is classed as hazard removal – obviously enough. At the other end of the scale is the wearing of personal protective equipment. M

Variable speed drives have brought precise and intelligent motion control to a range of industrial applications. The manufacturing sector alone depends upon machines that rotate and convey materials, pump liquids, cool or heat air with fans, pack and stack finished products – and do so as part of a

We’re moving into the future of technology, forever changing the way we work. Samuel Mueller, CEO and Co-Founder of Scandit, provided his insight on the four technologies that could change the supply chain. Technologies range from those as simple as the App Store to high-tech drones. It is the respo

74% of supply chain companies have experienced supply chain disruption at least once, based on a recent Business Continuity Institute study. A similar number of respondents (72%) admitted to not having full visibility of their supply chain. Lou Feretti, Project Executive at IBM, and Pierre Mitchell,

As of February, Obama signed the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. The law sought fairer and more consistent labor practices with international businesses. Because parent companies are now legally liable for the actions of their suppliers, companies need to take a better look at

Buyers generally have a good understanding of their company’s needs, however, too many assumptions and too little structure can result in mistakes when selecting suppliers. To ensure the best decisions are made, buyers need to reflect on their current decision making process. Dr. Cuneyt Altinoz has

By 2018, supply chain will need to fill 1.4 million new jobs, and this doesn’t even count jobs people will be retiring from. While it’s great to see this kind of growth, there may not be enough bodies to fill these positions. Will this stifle the industry’s innovation and progress? In The Supply Cha

Recover From Ransomware – Make Sure Your Backup Can Be Restored Recently, Macron Dynamics in Croydon Bucks County was hit with a ransomware attack. The event was caused when an employee clicked on a malicious e-mail attachment. “The e-mail was from a familiar source, but the attach

DVIRC’s Vice President of Operations Keith Ashlock retired in December after 22 years of service. Keith was instrumental in building the DVIRC into a dynamic, customer-centered company by working directly with manufacturers throughout the region. He started as the Director of Busin