The SMVector Series drive is one of the most cost effective and versatile choices for controlling your motors start and stop method.

6 Step Basic Setup Of An SMV Variable Frequency Drive

The SMVector Series drive is one of the most cost effective and versatile choices for controlling your motors start and stop method.

If you want complete control over every aspect of your motor, we recommend the SMVector Series variable frequency drive.

The SMVector Variable Frequency Drive is our product of choice for the majority of customer’s applications. There are a number of factors that make us consider it the best option in the market today. One reason it that it’s extremely cost effective compared to many of their competitors. The SMVector Variable Frequency Drives comes in sometimes 20% to 50% less expensive than their counterparts. Another reason to consider the SMVector Variable Frequency Drive is the ease of setup.

This post aims to show the basic setup and configuration of an SMVector Variable Frequency Drive.

1. Turn Off All Line Power

SMVector Variable Frequency Drives come in four different voltages: 120 VAC, 240 VAC, 480 VAC and 600 VAC. No matter what voltage you have it is extremely important to shut off all power prior to wiring your drive. This is extremely important to avoid injury or death. If you are umcomfortable working with these voltages we also recommend hiring a licensed contractor to do the installation for you.

2. Wire The Input Line Voltage

The second step for the basic setup of an SMVector Variable Frequency Drive is the wiring of the input line voltage. Here is a basic overview of the different wiring options for the SMV drive. If you’re running single phase, you may also benefit from reading up on how the SMVector will can be used To Run A 3 Phase Motor On Single Phase Power.

  • Single Phase, 120 VAC: Wire and fuse your hot wire to L1 and wire your neutral to N.
  • Single Phase, 240 VAC (two hot lines): Wire and fuse your two hot lines to L1 and L2 respectively.
  • Single Phase, 240 VAC (one hot line): Wire and fuse your hot line to L1 and wire your neutral to L2.
  • Three Phase, 240 VAC: Individually wire and fuse all three hot lines to L1, L2 and L3 respectively.
  • Three Phase, 480 VAC: Individually wire and fuse all three hot lines to L1, L2 and L3 respectively.
  • Three Phase, 600 VAC: Individually wire and fuse all three hot lines to L1, L2 and L3 respectively.

You will also want to reference the SMVector manual on page 16 for a diagram of how to wire it. Don’t forget to wire an earth ground to the PE terminal as well.

3. Wire The AC Motor

The SMVector Variable Frequency drive currently only support three phase motors. Wiring the motor is extremely easy as there really is only one way to do it. The reason the SMVector currently only supports three phase motors is because it is typically used in industrial applications where higher horsepower and torque is required.

Simply individually wire your motor leads to U, V and W. Don’t forget to also wire your ground wire to the PE ground terminal on the SMV.

4. Jumper The Drive Enable

For basic setup we will be running the drive directly from the keypad so we will not need any custom wiring to the control terminals. One essential thing we need, however, is to electrically enable the drive by putting in a jumper on the control terminals. In order for the drive to enable on power up place a wire jumper between terminals one and four. For a diagram see page 19 of the SMVector Users Manual.

5. Power Up The Drive

You can now power up the drive once you are confident you have wired everything correctly. On powerup the LED screen should come up for programming. At this point in time the default settings should allow you to simply press the start button on the keypad for the drive to run. If you wish to adjust the speed you can use the up and down arrows on the keypad.

6. Finish Your Setup

There are some essential parameters you should set in your SMVector to protect the motor and the drive. See them below, you will want to reference the SMVector Variable Frequency Drive operators manual when doing this. If prompted for the password when entering the parameter menu (by pressing the menu button) then you’ll need to use the arrow keys to enter the default password of 0225.

Set the following parameters to complete your setup:

  • P102 – Minimum Frequency (Speed)
  • P103 – Maximum Frequency (Speed)
  • P104 – Acceleration
  • P105 – Decleration
  • P108 – Motor Overload (Important for Motor Protection)
  • P110 – Start Method (If you want to start on power up)
  • P111 – Stop Method (If you want to coast or ramp to stop)
  • P112 – Rotation (If you want to change direction)

Conclusion:

The SMVector is capable of very advanced features including sensorless vector control and a full range of control terminal options. If you purchased your drive from us then we strongly recommend contacting us if you have any questions or concerns regarding this drive. We are also capable of Variable Frequency Drive Repairwhich includesrepairing them or determining if they are worth repair. You can get a free quotation by contacting us as well.

Adjustable Speed Drive Repair

Checking connections is a step many people miss or do incorrectly during anadjustable speed drive repair process. Heat cycles and mechanical vibration can lead to sub-standard connections, as can standard preventative maintenance practices. Reusing torque screws is not a good Idea, and further tightening an already tight connection, can ruin the connection. Bad connections eventually lead to arcing. Arcing at the drive input terminal can result in nuisance over voltage faults, clearing of input fuses, or damage to protective components. Arcing at the drive output terminal could result in over-current faults or even damage to the power components.Loose connections can cause erratic operation. For example, a loose START/STOP signal wire can cause uncontrollable drive starting and stopping. A loose speed reference wire can cause the drive speed to fluctuate, resulting in scrap, machine damage, or personnel injury.

Conduct Diode and IGBT Tests
There are a number of methods to test the input and output power sections of an ajustable speed drive, and this step is essential prior to applying power to the drive unit. If for any reason there is a short on the input side or output side of the drive, 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 adjustable speed drive 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 Unit
If the input and output power sections on the adjustable speed drive test healthy during this step of the repair process, Precision Electric will power 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 drive is achieved. Depending on whether or not the adjustable speed drive provides a display will determine what further action(s) will be taken. If display is unavailable, disassembly and diagnosis of the internal power supply of the control section of the drive is likely necessary to further evaluate cause of failure and establish cost and lead time for the repair.

Run A Motor
If the previous three tests have passed during the adjustable speed drive repair process, then it is time to run a basic jog function of the drive with a simple template program. Often when an adjustable speed drive comes into our facility, we make sure to backup all existing programs stored in the drive prior to inputting a template program and running a test procedure. This 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 adjustbale speed drive 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 drive 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 adjustable speed drive parts that need replaced, and are ready to offer the customer our repair quote. If the adjustable speed drive has tested good entirely, then further underlying issues are communicated with the customer. This is when Precision Electric will 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 I/O, bad wiring or even bad cabling. There is no single way to do this step since it depends on a wide variety of variables.

Routine Maintenance
Most adjustable speed drive repair can be prevented with routine maintenance. Adjustable speed drive repair cost and lead times can also be reduced with routine maintenance. Adjustable speed drive repair can be expensive and also cost manufacturers production downtime during the repair process. Most manufacturers keep spare drives in stock to prevent production downtime when their adjustable speed drive repair is in process.

Adjustable speed drive repair should be taken with extreme caution. Adjustable speed drive 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 all industrial electrical equipment. Many drive controllers have an internal DC bus that retains a charge after power has been cut to the drive, as a result, it does not mean it’s safe to work with. Technicians working with drive repair must always take extra precautions to ensure proper safety measures are taken, or injury or even death may occur.

For adjustable speed drive repair and replacement quotes, contact Precision Electric, Inc.

Precision Electric Now Supplies ABB ACS550 Series Drives

acs550We’re pleased to announce the addition of ACS550 Series Variable Frequency Drives to our online sales product line. The ACS550 Drives is a long time player from the line of ABB variable frequency drives and go up to 550 horsepower. This drive is a great fit for users who are used to the ABB brand of variable frequency drives and are looking for a cost-effective solution for running their motor application.

The ABB ACS550 Series drive finds it’s place as a mid-level applications drive. Typically it is used for open loop applications rather than closed loop. There is an optional encoder card though for users who find themselves in need of a closed loop setup of their motor and drive.

As with the majority of variable frequency drives out there, such as the SMVector, the ACS550 also comes with threeoperating modes. These operating modes include standard V / Hz control, variable torque controlandopen loop vector control. An integrated line filter (or EMC filter) comes standard onany model in an R2 frame or smaller. All boards are coated for harsh environments and each ACS550 includes a swinging choke for superior harmonic reduction.

If you find yourself wanting to know more information on the ACS550 drive simply swing by anyACS550 product page to learn more, you can also grab the manuals while you’re there to get an idea of how to setup your drive. One of the unique features of all ABB drives is the macro system for setting up applications, such as pumps or fans. Each drive comes with preset macros that make the configuration and startup the drive simple.

One confusing aspect of ABB drives is that they tend to come in two separate ratings. There is a “standard rating” and a “heavy duty rating” – heavy duty ratings are typically reserved for applications that are variable torque and may endure extreme loads for up to 10 minutes. To be exact, the ACS550 heavy duty ratings allow for 150% short term overload ratings from 1 to 10 minutes. Since we aren’t always able to know the application our customers are implementing these drives into all ratings at our site are specified at heavy duty.

The ACS800 variable frequency drive is a newer product for those looking for a possible replacement or upgrade of their ACS550 drive. The ACS800 is defined by us as an applications drive. This drive has just about every feature a modern variable frequency drive can have. This includes the integration of a full range of applications and extensive quantity of accessories to make it compatible with almost any industrial system. For the longest time the ACS800 has been ABBs go to drive.