Month: January 2019

ATS48 Soft Start Troubleshooting and Introduction

Brian Hughes 13 Comments

The Altistart 48(ATS48) series of soft starters by Square D and Schneider Electric allows for consistent start/stop rates that are independent of motor loads. These devices are more advanced than the standard drives that cannot control the applied motor torque. Featuring contact wiring and control, the soft starter allows for near-seamless integration with existing operations. Many preset parameters are included with the device and they cover a large spectrum of operations. Additional parameters may also be loaded up to meet specific needs. Available power ratings include:

  • 3 – 200 HP @ 208VAC, 60 Hz
  • 5 – 250 HP @ 230VAC, 60 Hz
  • 10 – 500 HP @ 460VAC, 60 Hz
  • 15 – 600 HP @ 575VAC, 60Hz

The ATS48 series features a dual configuration of two motors which allows for a cascaded start/stop in many operations. Using the Torque Control System(TCS) the unit can minimize wear on gears which allows for less time servicing the unit.

The Altistart 48 series takes advantage of the PowerSuite™ software for programming of your drive or soft starter.  With this software, you will be able to monitor and document all of your operations. Configurations are easily saved via hard disk, CD-ROM, flash memory, etc. Using Ethernet technology, the user is able to configure and monitor operations on the go, and a constant feed of information allows for real-time opportunity to modify and adjust configuration files on the fly.

Troubleshooting can be an issue for people when so many different things are going on. It just isn’t feasible to stop operations every time an error occurs. Below is a list of fault codes for the ATS48 Soft Start series that will help determine most issues:

Fault CodeDescription
nLP
rdY		Soft start without run command and:
• Line power not supplied
• Line power supplied
tbSStarting time delay not elapsed
HEAMotor preheating in progress
(Use SUP menu to set up monitoring
parameter. Factory setting: Motor Current.)		Soft start with run command
brLSoft start braking
StbWaiting for a command (RUN or STOP) in
cascade mode
CFF Invalid configuration on power-up
CFI Invalid configuration
CLFLoss of Control Power
EEFInternal memory fault
EtFExternal fault
ErFLine frequency out of tolerance
InFInternal fault
LrFLocked rotor fault
OCFOvercurrent fault
OHFSoft start overheating fault
OLCCurrent overload fault
OLFMotor overload/ground fault
OtFMotor thermal fault detected by PTC probes
PHFLoss of line or motor phase
PIFPhase reversal fault
SLFSerial link fault
StFExcessive starting time
ULFMotor underload fault
USFLack of AC line power on a run command

MRO Electric and Supply carries all models of this unit and has a fast and easy repair service to get your unit fixed and back into your hands as soon as possible.

Struggling with your ATS48 Soft Starter?

MRO Electric provides the insights and assistance you need to troubleshoot efficiently. Our inventory is stocked with the necessary parts, and our experts are on standby to help you minimize downtime.

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Updated on March 26, 2024 by Joe Kaminski

Modicon PLC History

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Richard E. Morley, also known as Dick, was an American electrical engineer. He was an employee at Bedford and Associates, located in Massachusetts. He is most commonly known for his involvement with the production of the first Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for General Motors and the Modicon in 1968. General Motors Company, often referred to as GM, is an American multinational corporation that is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan that engineers, manufactures, markets and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts and sells financial services.

Known as an author, educator, influencer and specialized engineer, Morleys’ accomplishments and contributions have earned him numerous awards from families such as ISA (the instrumentation systems and automation society), Inc. Magazine, Franklin Institute, SME (the Society of Manufacturing Engineers), and the Engineering Society of Detroit. SME offers the Richard E. Morley Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award for outstanding technical accomplishments in the manufacturing space by engineers age 35 and younger.

Schneider Electric currently owns the Modicon brand of PLCs. The PLC has been recognized as a major advancement in the automation space and has had an unprecedented impact on the manufacturing community as a whole. PLCs were designed to replace re-wiring and hard-wired control panels with software program changes when production updates were necessary. Before PLCs came about, several relays, drum sequencers, cam timers and closed-loop controllers were used to manufacture vehicles and vehicle parts. Re-wiring the relays and other necessary components was a very in-depth and costly process, but clearly worth the effort. The Modicon 084 PLC was modeled to be programmed in ‘ladder logic’ which had the look of the schematic diagrams of relay logic it was replacing.  This made the transition to PLCs easier for engineers and other professionals in the manufacturing space.  The automotive industry is still one of, if not the largest users of PLCs today. MRO Electric and Supply has new and refurbished Modicon parts available including the Modicon Quantum series. We also offer repair pricing. For more information, please call 800-691-8511 or email sales@mroelectric.com.

Modicon PLC History

The Modicon PLC Timeline

A few years later, in the 1970’s, dialogue between PLCs came about. Introduced as the first industrial communications network, Modbus was based on a Slave/Master architecture that used messaging to communicate between Modbus nodes. All and all, a lacking standardization made PLC communications a nightmare.

In the  1980’s, General Electric made an effort to regiment the interconnection of devices from several manufacturers with MAP (manufacturing automation protocol). PLC programming software was also created to operate on personal as well as professional computers in order to remove the need for dedicated programming terminals or handheld programmers.

As years have gone on, PLCs have evolved as technology evolves. Nowadays, they include process, motion, and distributed control systems, as well as complex networking. Equivalent to an average, run-of-the-mill desktop computer, PLCs have capacities for data handling storage and impressive processing power.

Updated on March 7, 2023 by Brian Hughes