Allen Bradley VFD Repair
Allen Bradley VFDrepair is less expensive and quicker than Allen Bradley VFD replacement.The most economical way to get an Allen Bradley VFDrepair is by going directly to an Allen Bradley VFD repair center such as Precision Electric, instead of using a local vendor who doesn’t even perform the VFD repair themselves.Precision Electric performs all Allen Bradley VFD repair in house.
Checking the motor and drive terminal connections is a step many people miss or do incorrectly during an Allen Bradley VFDrepair. 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 during an Allen Bradley VFDrepair, and this step is done 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 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 Allen Bradley VFD repair is too costly, then, VFD replacement is offered to the customer.
Power Up Unit
If the input and output power sections test healthy during the Allen Bradley VFDrepair, Precision Electric will power the unit and perform amp reading and output frequency tests. Precision Electricslowly increases the power voltage during this step of the Allen Bradley VFD repair. The power voltage is slowly increased on the Allen Bradley VFDuntil the rated input voltage of the drive is reached. Depending on whether or not the Allen Bradley VFDprovides a display will determine what further action will be taken. If display is unavailable, disassembly and diagnosis of the internal power supply of the control section of the drive is necessary to further evaluate cause of failure and establish cost and lead time for the Allen Bradley VFDrepair.
Run A Motor
If the previous three tests have passed during an Allen Bradley VFD repair, Precision Electric willrun a basic jog function of the drive with a simple template program. When a VFD comes into our facility, we make sure to backup all existing programs stored in the drive prior to inputting a template program to run a test procedure. This ensures that 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 perform a basic reset of the Allen Bradley VFDto factory defaults through the keypad andthenrecommission 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.
Routine Maintenance
Most Allen Bradley VFD repair / failure can be prevented with routine maintenance. Allen Bradley VFD repair cost and lead times can also be reduced with routine maintenance. Allen Bradley VFDrepair can be expensive and cost manufacturers production downtime during the repair process. Most manufacturers keep spare drives in stock to prevent production downtime during the Allen Bradley VFD repair.
Allen Bradley VFDrepair should be taken with extreme caution and 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 Allen Bradley VFDdrives and other electrical equipmentmust always take extra precautions to ensure proper safety measures are taken, or injury or even death may occur.
Most companies who offerAllen Bradley VFDrepair do not even perform the repair in their facility. These companies outsource the repair to a third party such asPrecision Electric. Precision Electric always receives Allen Bradley VFD repair jobs from companies who offer Allen Bradley VFDrepair. Those third party repair companies just mark up the repair cost to their customers.
Call Precision Electrictoday for Allen Bradley VFD Repair Quotes.
