Considerations for buying automated parts

Ryan Dickinson Leave a comment

What are automated parts used for?

Automation is crucial in manufacturing and is the backbone of our industries. Robots can automate highly variant, dangerous and exhausting tasks in a high-quality and cost effective way. By increasing productivity at a lower cost, maximum cost efficiency is reached, which is ideal in a business setting.

What should I be looking for when buying automated parts?

There are a number of things to keep in mind when buying automated parts for your warehouse or setup. Below is a basic guide with questions to ask yourself to make the process a little easier.

Is there a warranty? If so, for how long?

Protect your investment on your automated parts. Warranties are important in insuring that your part is functioning as intended and in getting what you paid for. Make sure you check under what instances a warranty can be claimed and how long the warranty lasts. Are there detachable parts within the automated component that are covered? MRO Electric and Supply offers a minimum 12-month warranty on all listed parts.

Is the part compatible with the machinery that is already there?

There are a multitude of environments that certain parts can be more oriented towards, including in aerospace and automotive manufacturing, food processing plants or laboratories. It is essential that the part be used in the correct application to be effective. It is obviously important that the automated component works with the setup already in place. Some additional compatibility questions to ask yourself before buying:

Does the weight or form factor impact its compatibility? Is space an issue?

Many people are eager to buy large parts for their warehouses without considering the space to put them. Consider the part and its intended configuration. Include additional equipment that comes along with the part like peripherals, fencing, light curtains or mat guards.

Will the condition of the part affect its lifespan in this application? Is there a newer, better part for this application?

Check to see if the part is new, used or refurbished, and if the condition will affect its application. Many industrial parts are discontinued as new technologies evolve, and while these legacy parts are still useful, newer components might work more efficiently or effectively. Check to see if there are any advantages or disadvantages to older and newer generations of your part and weigh your options.

Visit MRO Electric and Supply’s website to see our selection of automated parts from manufacturers like Yaskawa, Modicon, Control Techniques, Siemens, and FANUC. If we don’t have what you need listed on the site, contact us at sales@mroelectric.com or (800)691-8511 and we will be happy to help.

Yaskawa Drive Types

Ryan Dickinson Leave a comment
Yaskawa

Yaskawa Electric is a global manufacturer of high-quality parts used in robotics and automation. They specialize in servos, controllers, switches, robots, drives and more. These parts are used for a variety of purposes in industry. In this post, we will be distinguishing the different types of Yaskawa drives.

CIMR Drives
E7 Drives– Designed for commercial HVAC applications. Embedded with Modbus, APOGEE FLN and Metasys N2.
F7 Drives– Well-rounded drive with a variety of uses. Contains NEMA Type 12 enclosure with space to expand filters, fuses, I/O cards and more.
G7 Drives– Low voltage drive that uses 3 level control to combat problems with long motor cables and premature motor bearing failure. Great vector performance and flexibility. Configured options with pre-engineered cabinet options available.
P7 Drives– Created for applications with variable torque like centrifugal pumps and fans.

yaskawa p7

GPD Drives
GPD 333– General purpose AC Drive, 1/4 the size of normal PWM drives.
GPD 503/505/506– High-performance three phase voltage/frequency output with adjustable speed control.
GPD 515– PWM AC drive designed for low motor noise and high starting torque.

Microdrives
J1000 Drives– General purpose drives with open loop voltage/frequency control with preferred parameter feature. Simple variable speed of up to 7.5HP.
V1000 Drives– Compact current vector drive designed for efficiency and maintainability. Capable of up to 25HP. Economical for basic variable speed applications.
V1000-4X Drive- The same as the V1000 but with an enclosure built for dust tight environments.

Other Drives
A1000 Drives – High performance general purpose drive capable of up to 1000HP. Used for general purposes.
P1000 Drives – Torque performance capable of withstanding 1000HP. Oriented towards variable torque applications including centrifugal pumps and fans. Configured and bypass options available.
U1000 Industrial Matrix Drives – Regenerative high performance vector drive capable of up to 800HP. Used for general purposes.

Source: https://www.yaskawa.com/

Visit MRO Electric and Supply’s website to see all of our available Yaskawa Drives. If we don’t have what you need listed on the site, contact us at sales@mroelectric.com or (800) 691-8511 and we will be happy to help!

Yaskawa SIGMA 5 Troubleshooting

Saif Afridi 1 Comment

Yaskawa has established a firm position as the leading international developer of servo products in recent years, surpassing its competitors with innovation and utilization of advanced modern technologies.

Its Sigma 5 series is absolutely top of the class! Incorporated with the latest and most desirable features, this fleet of servo products does not disappoint. The Sigma 5 series catalog is briefly over-viewed below.

  • SERVOPACKs is a series consisting of high-end networkable amplifiers that support motors up to 55 kW
  • Rotary Servo Motors with outputs in the wide range of 50W – 15kW
  • Direct Drive Servomotors with peak torque 6-600 Nm
  • Linear Servomotors are directly driven by a coil
  • Linear Slides complete the package for customers using linear servomotors, comprising of components such as slides, carriages, etc.

With such a versatile range of products, Sigma 5 series is easily what you would want to have in your workshops and industries.

SGMGV-09ADA61

All servo drives are tailored according to contemporary market demands. With so many different kinds of motors, the drives make use of complex algorithms that allow engineers to exercise precise control over the motor output, helping them achieve the accuracy modern applications require.

Yaskawa is highly regarded among consumers and the industry for its professionalism. From product development to customer dealing, this quality shows through at each stage, and this is exactly what puts this company at the top.

This blog is dedicated to one aspect of this characteristic: Troubleshooting. Sigma 5 series is undoubtedly the most functional of all but this also means that the intricacies involved can sometimes be difficult to handle.

If one of these products does not perform as it should be, troubleshooting it should be something that field engineers should be able to do. Thankfully, the Sigma 5 series is accompanied by clear troubleshooting guidelines and is one of the most easy to handle.

  • Product Documentation

Each product comes with comprehensive documentation that can be accessed at any time to gain in-depth knowledge of its working. These documents contain important information like dedicated troubleshooting guides, operating parameter, alarm lists, product structure, and specifications.

With this information at hand, troubleshooting any of the Sigma 5 products becomes a piece of cake!

  • Software Support

Sigma 5 series comes with a very supportive software suite as well which can serve as the perfect troubleshooting tool. During installation and operation, these software used extensively for product setup and configuration.

The SigmaWin+ is an intuitive tool that allows convenient setup of each servo product. If you observe anything out of the normal with your Sigma 5 products, the first thing to do would be to check whether the configuration settings are compatible with your application.

Its most helpful function is the alarm diagnostic function. Troubleshooting is usually initiated after a machine raises an alarm. This software is designed to identify all the possible reasons that might have generated a specific alarm, and presents possible corrective measures as well.

Moreover, SigmaWin+ has enhanced features such as wiring check and auto-tuning of multiple parameters. Using these you can not only find the loopholes you are looking for but also optimize operations.

  • Yaskawa Customer Support

To top off the aforementioned troubleshooting options, MRO’s Repair team is always available for help. If you are experiencing a mind-boggling issue with your Sigma 5 products, this team is the go-to. Apart from repair work, MRO Electric and Supply has a core exchange program that saves the buyer time and money when receiving their new unit.

Keeping Your Breaker Running

Saif Afridi Leave a comment

In any industry of the modern era, the use of electronics is absolutely crucial and unavoidable. Whether you are operating a CNC shop, process plant, or assembly line, electronics devices and automation technologies are at work there.

Automation is understandably the backbone of our industries. However, it comes with an additional responsibility of maintenance and inspection. This is something industrialists sometimes neglect and core electronic equipment goes unchecked for long periods of time, which can lead to serious problems and financial loss.

In this blog, we focus on one basic electric device: the circuit breaker, and why do you need to keep it in tip-top condition.

Circuit breakers are installed at nearly every point in your plant’s electric layout and offer protection against over-current incidents which can damage sensitive devices like motors, drivers etc. They work by cutting off power supply to the circuit they are connected against if a high amount of current is detected.

siemens breakers

Proper maintenance of circuit breakers is an essentially that everyone must understand. If your breaker is faulty due to poor maintenance, you can end up with a burden that is far more than that of performing maintenance. The replacement of damaged devices in addition to the possible shutdown of an industrial process is not something what we want.

In our opinion, the best way to optimize breaker maintenance is to have a complete system in place. Discussed below are a few suggestions we have for people who wish to keep their breakers in proper running.

  1. Know Your Breaker

Circuit breakers come in different types and ratings. Usually in industries, they are categorized by the voltage they are supposed to handle, short-circuit current capacity (AIC value), and the medium they utilize.

You must know the sort of circuit breaker you are dealing with since each type has its own guidelines and precautions. This makes it much easier to narrow down your maintenance procedures and scheduling.

  • Never Forget the Instruction Manual

Once you have the basic know-how about the kinds of equipment you are dealing with, you should get your hands on their instruction manuals. It is always good to have a product manual at hand when testing out your breaker since it carries detailed guidelines about what procedure you should follow in order to ensure comprehensive maintenance.

  • Develop a Schedule

A maintenance schedule is a must if you want your breakers to be ready for a current overload. Usually the manufacturer advises the time period after which a breaker should be examined, a general thumb rule is that breakers should be tested every 6 months to avoid any breakdowns.

  • Avoid Negligence

This is where most almost everybody falls a bit short. If a breaker is tested and a fault is found, it should not be neglected and be rectified immediately. One should not put off the task of replacing damaged parts. You never know when your circuit might short out and be the cause of harm for your equipment.

In a recent blog post, we discussed the reasons why you should keep your machinery up to date. There are many important benefits to make sure your machinery is in its best condition, but none other than saving time and money down the road. It’s impossible to consistently run any machine and not encounter an issue sooner or later. For any inquiries on Siemens Breaker units or anything else, call us toll-free at (800)691-8511 or contact by email at sales@mroelectric.com.

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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Modicon PLC History

Joe Kaminski Leave a comment

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.

Benefits of Upgrading Your HMI to LCD Technology

Mike Funari Leave a comment

Human Machine Interfaces, or HMI’s, are used extensively throughout the world to control and monitor automated machinery.  These devices provide touchpad and visual interaction to control manufacturing processes and perform daily tasks.  One of the most recognized HMI devices is the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).  These ATM devices intuitively interface with users through a keypad and monitor to readily transact bank deposits and dispense cash withdrawals.  They provide reliable 24-hour access to our daily banking needs.

siemens

Various HMI devices are common throughout industry.  Many older HMI devices contain the original Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor technology.  This older technology burdens the users and owner with several disadvantages:

  1. High Energy Consumption – The CRT technology is not considered energy efficient.  It requires more power to operate than the newer LCD technology.  CRT screens consume 3 – 4 times the energy when compared to the LCD screens.
  2. Expensive to maintain – CRT repairs are becoming more specialized and expensive as the workforce transitions to the newer technologies.
  3. Obsolete Components – CRT technology is outdated and beyond its life cycle.  Components required to support repair are becoming obsolete and expensive if available.
  4. Avoid costly new operator interface packages – MRO upgrades to LCD technology maintain the interface packages with your existing equipment (frames, communication connections, power sources, etc.).  Updated HMI’s from MRO are plug-n-play.
  5. Better Reliability – Heat generated by the CRT technology often shortens the life of the electrical circuit components.  CRT monitors tend to have a life of 18,000 to 20,000 hours.  LCD monitors provide more than 100,000 hours life.
  6. Clarity of Picture, Crisp Image – LCD’s make the screen burn often associated with CRT’s a thing of the past.  LCD image display is much clearer for the operator and will not fade.

MRO provides an HMI service to update your old CRT displays to LCD technology and new keypads.  This approach is a low-cost upgrade to superior technology with no risks. Visit our repair page, call us, or email us for an instant quote on fixing, swapping, or purchasing your new HMI device.

Our top HMI manufacturers include: