Inverters For Plastics Companies

Inverters For Plastics Companies: Modern plastics facilities know the value of utilising variable speed drives to help with process control and energy saving. We have been delighted to find that as with other industries, plastics companies are working with us to get the most from their assets.

In this overview we explain some of the ways we add value.

Avoiding Loss of Production

For any site, downtime is to be avoided or at the least minimised. The cost of loss of production can be astronomic. Should you experience downtime due to a variable speed drive failure then call us on 0115 944 1036 we are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week 364 days a year. Technical advice can be given over the phone, we can arrange for a site visit, a hire drive can be supplied from our huge range to enable production to restart as quickly as possible, whilst we remove and repair the drive. Should the drive need to be replaced we have £400k of new variable speed drives in stock at all times, this means we are more than likely to have a replacement drive ready and waiting to go. Because we are an ABB VP, we also have access to ABB knowledge and technical support as well as preferential supply lines.

Of course, the best way to avoid loss of production is to maintain and service your drives. ABB have a recommended schedule of preventative maintenance and we are authorised to carry these out on their behalf. Regular servicing will prolong the life of your variable speed drives and will help to prevent unplanned downtime.

Inverters For Plastics Companies – Energy Saving

For many organisations, energy is one of the top 3 production costs. The energy saving potential of variable speed drives is well documented, but how do you really know what can be saved on each application (we achieve particularly good energy saving results when applying variable speed drives to pumps and fans)? The answer is simple: with an energy efficiency audit from IDS we will visit your site, assess the applications and provide conservative calculations with predicted payback periods. We are happy to assess individual applications as well as entire sites with varied applications.

Process Control

For example, using ABB inverters gives excellent open loop speed control, which leads to a better quality product.

DC to AC Motor Upgrade

The main advantages of AC motor inverter systems over DC are:

• Reduced maintenance costs
• Reduced production downtimes
• Improved efficiency/energy costs (typically 15-25%)
• Standard products with short lead times
• Noise reduction

The choice of AC motors to replace DC has to be a careful choice, however and the following need to be considered:

• The torque speed curve of the new AC motor has to match the load
• AC motors tend to be shorter and fatter so space can be an issue
• Forced ventilation may be need to be considered

There are a variety of AC motors to choose from:

• IE3 and IE4 induction motors
• High efficiency SynRM motors
• Compact HDP motors

You can view an interesting and pertinent case study we participated in along with ABB and Radius Systems on our website.

Increased Reliability

ABB Variable Speed Drives are workhorses, when properly maintained they last and last. As with all things, with a regular service schedule the life of an inverter is prolonged. IDS offer tailored service packages to suit the environment and workload of quarry sites.

We can increase reliability further by utilising ABB Smart Sensors that will send key metrics of your electric motors directly to your phone or device on a regular basis. Giving early warnings of potential issues so that they can be addressed ahead of failure.

What Applications

Essentially, any application driven by an electric motor will benefit from variable speed drive control.

We have been particularly successful with:

• Extruders
• Hydraulic power packs
• Mills
• Bonders
• Cooling towers
• Agitators

However, before jumping in it is important for us to understand what you want to achieve prior to making recommendations. Improving process control, avoiding loss of production, saving energy, noise reduction, ac to dc upgrade are all topics we can assist you with. Let’s talk, call us on 0115 944 1036 or email [email protected]