ABB Plastic Process Equipment

ABB plastic process equipment is available in a complete range of solutions developed to meet the specific needs of the plasticsproduction industry, including AC and DC drives, controls and safety engineering. ABB plastic process equipment userscan meet all drive and control needs from a single source. They can also call on the extensive global technical application and service support delivered by ABBs team ofhighly skilled and knowledgeable engineers who have a wealth of experience in the plastic manufacturing industries.

ABB plastic process equipment includes ABB robots for the entire spectrum of mould machines – small, medium-size and heavy duty. A glance at the typical applications reveals true robot versatility: insertion of parts in the mould, extraction and a wide variety of post-process applications such as cutting, gluing, assembly and quality control. Since these machines can be floor-mounted, mounted on pedestals or shelfmounted, the user still retains maximum flexibility. Additional ABB plastic process equipment with extended cycle time simply extends the performance of ABB 6-axis robots; to a perfect blend of accuracy and consistency.

Different types of ABB plastic processequipment is employed depending on the plastic product, type and size of its corresponding extruder. A diverse range of motors are used: standard IEC asynchronous motors, square type servo motors, DC motors, permanent magnet motors, and synchronous reluctance motors. Drives are used for precise motor control and increased energy efficiency as well as for environmental and cost reasons. Modern drives also provide dynamic torque limiting for the extrusion screw even without speed feedback, even with synchronous motors with or without permanent magnets. For extruder heating systems, ABB plastic process controls with adaptive thermostats offer particular advantages.

ABB Control Builder Plus is ABBs unique integrated engineering tool for control systems, drives, operating panels, field buses, network and webservices. It integrates tools for the configuration, programming, diagnostics and servicing of almost every automation project via an intuitive user interface. ABB’s dynamic control of asynchronous, PM servo motors and ABB synchronous reluctance motors enables the rapid correction of load-side disturbances. ABB drives with direct torque control (OTC) provide speed and torque control without sensors.

ABB plastic process equipment is flexible to optimize all manufacturing processes and control. ABB plastic process equipment also comes with premium service, responsible solutions and expertise at the user’s disposal, anywhere on the globe. To learn more about ABB plastic process equipment, visit the ABB Website. For ABB plastic process equipment repair and replacement quotes, contact Precision Electric, Inc.

Eaton Cold Weather Parameter

Eaton adjustable frequency drive products implemented an Eaton cold weather parameter functionality. The Eaton cold weather parameter function will provide the ability of the drive to function down below the initial rated temperature with a safe cost effective way to perform warming of both the motor and the drive cabinet.TheEatonDG1 adjustable frequency drive has a parameter group that supplys a selectable AC voltage to the motor at a very low frequency for a desired period of time and also lowers the temperature fault level.

This design uses the current draw through the IGBT modules to warm up the unit temperature by sending a 0.5Hz output frequency to the motor. The drives standard low temperature fault point is -10C which in most applications this is sufficient. In extreme temperature regions that often reach below this point, this can cause a fault, preventing operation of the drive. With the cold weather functionality enabled, the trip point is taken from a -10C fault level and moves it down to -30C with an alarm trip point at -20C. Therefore, the adjustable frequency drive will start the motor in a normal operational mode when the unit temperature is above the -20C level. If the drives unit temp is between -20C and -30C and the drive is stopped, when the run command is given the drive will go into the cold weather warm up feature to enable the motor to start when it reaches -20C.

Eaton Cold Weather Parameter Setup

There are four Eaton cold weather parameter options that are used to perform the cold weather protection functionality with the primary one being the under temperature fault condition setting. These parameters provide a safe way to warm up the drive instead of enabling full voltage output in cold environments. Each of these settings is described in detail below:

P9.23: Unit Under Temp Protection This parameter is used to define the function of the unit under temperature which is the highest drive heat sink temperature taken from the IGBT gate and a thermal temperature sensor in the power board. This parameter comes defaulted as a Fault but can be changed to No Action, a Warning, or Fault and Coast to a stop. To use the cold weather warm up feature, this parameter should be left on either one of the Fault actions. The No Action and Warning will allow the drive to start and run up to the set reference when the start command is given. This could potentially damage the capacitors and IGBT module.

P9.39: Cold Weather Mode This parameter is used to enable the cold weather warm up fea- ture when the Unit Under Temp Protection is set to one of the fault conditions. With this enabled, it causes the unit temperature trip to be adjusted from -10C to -30C. In addition, it activates a warm up sequence when the unit temperature is between -30C and -20C. When a run com- mand is given, the output frequency will be set to 0.5 Hz and run for a selectable voltage percent- age and time. It will also indicate the drive is in the mode with an Alarm 90 Cold Weather Warm in this operational state. Once temperature goes above -20C, the drive will ramp up to the set ref- erence value. If the temperature does not rise above -20C in the specified time, the drive will go into a Fault F13 Under Temp Fault which can be reset and the sequence could be repeated.

p9.40: Cold Weather Voltage Level This parameter is used to select the percentage of volt- age output the drive will provided at 0.5Hz when in the cold weather warm up mode. This value can be set from 0 to 20% of the motor rated voltage setting in the drive. This value should be set based off the ambient temperature and how quickly the user would like the drive to warm up. A higher voltage will cause more current to flow through the motor heating it up faster, but this also can cause additional heating which can cause increased winding wear over long periods of time. It is recommended that the voltage level be set to the lowest level that will effectively meet the users application requirements.

P9.41: Cold Weather Time Out This parameter is used to select the time limit for the drive to run at the 5Hz level at the selected voltage. This time can be set from 0 to 10 minutes, the longer the time the more likely the drive will warm itself up to a starting condition. However, as the time is increased, the motor life may be reduced due to significant heating of the motor windings over long periods of time. It is recommended that the voltage level be set to the lowest level that will effectively meet the users application requirements.

To learn more about the Eaton cold weather parameter function, visit the Eaton Website. For Eaton drive repair and Eaton drive replacement quotes, contact Precision Electric, Inc.

Drive System Integration

Drive system integration is becoming more complex and demanding with technology.Manufacturing in the future will be much more resourceful than todays factories. Manufacturers must reach increasingly higherrates of productivity and efficiency at the lowestpossible cost. At the sametime, the next stage of industrial manufacturing is just around the corner: Industry4.0; an initiative known as the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalitioncharacterized by smart factories and self organizing communities of machinery, driven by information that’s virtually generated.

Drive technology alone can’t overcomeall the new challenges needed in today’s manufacturing processes. What is needed is consistent integration of drive technology into the factory environment of the manufacturingprocess.This changewill turndrive system integration into success factors that will lead the way to the future of production. Drive system integrationhelps improve the productivity, efficiency,and competitiveness of industrial manufacturingand reduces labor hours which increases marketing andproduction time.Drive system integration engineers are experts in providing engineering studies to increase machine speed forincreased production and/or to improve machine tension control for improvement ofproduct quality while decreasing run time needed to manufacture. Consulting may be required to investigate the present machine operation and evaluation of product quality and potential to increase these components. Observations are determined and then documented with alternative solutions and recommendations for customerneeds.

Upgrading existing equipment or installation of new equipment can be a liability. Manufacturers may seekopportunitiesforsolutions to their equipment while maintaining current productiondemands. This can be achieved by working with aflexible drive systems integration supplier, with the knowledge and capabilities to provide workingspecifications on time.

ABB offers a variety of variable frequencydrives that areavailable around the world. ABB drives are seen in applications where control requirements andenvironmental conditions are applicable.To meet all areas in productionrequirements, ABB offersa wide range of application specific solutions, ranging frompump, fan, conveyor and compressor applications through todemanding machinery and marine solutions.ABB drive modules enable machine builders, drive system integration and panel builders to engineer and build drive cabinets using ABB technology. The ABB industrial drive and ABB machinery drive modules are specifically designed to fit cabinet constructions. The drive modules come with a range of accessories including supply units, inverters, braking options, filters, various I/O and communications.

ABB ACS800 industrial drives are available both as complete AC drives and as modules to meet manufacturingrequirements as a user, OEM or system integration redesigns. ABB ACS800 single drive modules configuration contains a rectifier, DC link and an inverter in one single AC drive unit. They can be installed without any additional cabinet or enclosure, available in wall-mounted, freestanding and cabinet-built constructions. They are specifically designed for industrial applications in process industries such as the pulp & paper, metals, mining, cement, power, chemical, and oil & gas.

The ABB website includes an ACS880 pricing and configuration tool, designed specifically for drive systemintegration specialists. It is easy to manage and update. It includes products and options, along with their selection rules and restrictions. Offers can be automatically generated as a Microsoft Excel worksheet.

To learn more about drive system integration or for drive system integration quotes, contact Precision Electric.