Eaton Drives Troubleshooting

Eaton drivestroubleshooting can be time consuming, so manufacturers tend to keep spare Eaton drives on hand for production lines that can’t afford downtime.When Eaton drivestroubleshooting cannot be resolved in the plant, technicians are known to send their Eaton VFD to the original equipment manufacturer or Eaton VFD repair centers for repair and replacement options. The original equipment manufacturer of Eaton drives and Eaton VFD repair centers usually only offer a replacement for failed drives, but this isn’t usually the most economical solution for manufacturers. Eaton also repairs failed drives but the lead-time for Eaton to repair their own drives is extensive and expensive.

When Eaton drivestroubleshooting leads to Eaton VFD repair, the repair process should be taken with extreme caution. Eaton VFD repair should only be performed by technicians who have required training and experience to work with electrical equipment. Precision Electric strongly recommends to consult an expert in the field when repairing and troubleshooting Eaton VFD equipment.The troubleshooting techniques for each brand of VFD can be unique, but the overall structure of troubleshooting always remains the same.The ultimate goal when performing Eaton drivestroubleshooting is to diagnose, repair and re-commission the unit as quickly as possible, and these are the steps that Precision Electric follows for Eaton drive repairs.

Take Notes

This is often a subject that is passed by many individuals who are attempting to troubleshoot industrial electrical equipment. Before Precision Electric begins to perform Eaton drivestroubleshooting, qualified technicians take note of many important aspects of the equipment including, but not limited to:

  • Eaton VFD Model Number
  • VFD Serial Number
  • Reason for Service
  • Urgency (Rush Overtime or Standard)
  • Visual Inspection of External Device

Diode and IGBT Tests

When Eaton drivesTroubleshooting exceeds parameter changes, Precision Electric tests the input and output power sections of the Eaton VFD. This step is essential prior to applying power to the VFD unit. If for any reason there is a short on the input side or output side of the VFD, further damage can be caused to the unit if power is applied to it.

For this reason, Precision Electric uses meters to properly test the input and output power sections of the Eaton VFD prior to applying power to the actual unit. If a short is found, the unit can be disassembled and the cause of the short can be diagnosed and quoted for repair. If the repair is too costly, then a replacement is offered to the customer.

Power Up

If the input and output power sections test healthy during this step of the Eaton drivestroubleshooting and repair process, Precision Electric will power up the unit and perform amp reading and output frequency tests. Precision Electric prefers to slowly increase power voltage to the unit until the rated input voltage of the VFD is achieved.

Depending on whether or not the VFD provides a display will determine what further action(s) will be taken. If display is unavailable, dis-assembly and diagnosis of the internal power supply of the control section of the VFD is likely necessary to further evaluate cause of failure and establish cost and lead time for the Eaton VFD repair.

Run A Motor

If the previous three tests have passed during the Eaton drives troubleshooting and repair process, then it is time to run a basic jog function of the VFD with a simple template program. Often when a VFD comes into our facility, we make sure to backup whatever program is currently stored in the VFD prior to inputting a template program and running a test procedure. This is to ensure we have a backup copy of the program.

The best method for backing up depends on the brand of drive, but after it has been backed up, we either reset the Eaton VFD to factory defaults through the keypad and recommission a basic start, stop and job application or closed loop if an encoder is involved. If the motor will not run, it will be necessary to check the output voltages and current ratings going to the motor to see if the VFD is functioning properly to rotate the motor.

Contact Customer

At this point we have determined the cause of failure, estimated lead time and cost of the Eaton drivestroubleshooting and VFD repair. If the VFD has tested good entirely, then further underlying issues are communicated with the customer. This is when Precision Electricwill gather application specific information from the customer to establish whether or not it may be some outside issue associated with the system including, but not limited to, PLC communications, faulty IO, bad wiring or even bad cabling. There is no single way to do this step, as it depends on a wide variety of variables.

Send Service Tech

If the customer cannot establish failure on any other aspect of the machine and the Eaton drivestroubleshooting tests appear to be good, then it may be necessary to send a Precision Electric field service technician on site to establish cause of failure. Precision Electricfield service technicians are trained to troubleshoot any issue ranging from standard VFD repair to advanced robotics, servo systems, electric motor issues and more. Precision Electric field technicians are trained to establish cause of failure and come up with solutions as quick as possible.

To learn more about Eaton Drives Troubleshooting or for Eaton VFD Repair Quotes, contactPrecision Electric, Inc.