Mitsubishi Electric drives go large

Mitsubishi Electric has expanded its F700 series of variable speed drives for electric motors with 15 larger sizes up to 530kW.

Mitsubishi Electric has expanded its F700 series of variable speed drives for electric motors with 15 larger sizes up to 530kW.

At the launch last year the range ran from 0.7kW to 55kW, the most popular sizes for OEM and end-user applications.

The full range now covers virtually every likely use for drives in fields as diverse as manufacturing, HVAC, utilities, wind tunnels and commercial kitchen appliances.

The FR-F700 features both optimum excitation control and optimum torque patterns so the drive is always giving maximum performance and efficiency to the load.

It has redefined energy efficiency expectations since its initial launch.

It is able to automatically optimise energy usage for every possible load profile.

For instance some materials, such as batter, can change their viscosity when being mixed and the F700 can detect this and constantly re-optimise its settings to follow the changing conditions.

Other features for which the F700 is already recognised include ease of commissioning, a predictive maintenance monitor, high level connectivity to control systems and tripless reliability.

Additionally, a flux vector option is available for applications requiring high levels of dynamic control.

The enhanced energy savings can provide up to 12 per cent extra savings compared to other drives, which is particularly significant in the many pumps and fans applications where an oversized motor has to be fitted to allow very occasional peak conditions.

Actual energy savings can be monitored via the front panel, which can display the power, percentage or cumulative energy saving in kilowatt/hours or local currency.

This information, along with other performance measures can be downloaded via the communication network to a central location.

The F700 has many other features, such as the removable terminal block, which means that if a unit has to be exchanged, say during a system reconfiguration project, time-consuming rewiring is not necessary: instead the terminal block is simply removed from the old drive and inserted into the new one.

Significantly the terminal block is compatible with Mitsubishi' s previous generation inverters, the 500 series.

The on-board EMC filter is to a new design that ensures compliance with European EMC legislation for industrial environments.

The cooling fan has been especially developed for the F700, using larger than normal bearings for an operating life expectancy in excess of 10 years.

This is further enhanced because the fan is switched off when not required.

To further lengthen operating life while reducing cost of ownership, the F700 also monitors its own key components, such as capacitors and protection circuits, and flags up if/when they are coming towards the end of their operational life.

Similarly a timer will highlight when specified maintenance procedures are due, reducing unplanned downtime.

An RS 485 communication port is fitted as standard and connection to all the major networks and protocols is covered, including CC-Link, DeviceNet, Profibus, Modbus and, for HVAC and building automation, LONWorks.

A USB interface is shortly to be available.

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