AC  Inverter Drives

AC Inverter Drives and Systems

ACDC Drives stock a large range of AC Inverter drives to cover the vast spectrum of individual requirements. AC Inverter drives are used in many different applications, they vary considerably in complexity and they are often referred to as a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive). The VFD's are a powerful tool for energy saving and a cost effective alternative to running the AC motor D.O.L (Direct on line). AC Motor Control has transformed the way we operate our motors. Inverters increase the motor life and increase service intervals, whilst cutting down energy consumption. Torque can also be limited with an AC inverter, which can help protect equipment by allowing it to operate within manufacturer tolerances, therefore extending its life.

We stock Parker Inverters, TECDrive Inverters, Yaskawa Inverters and Control Techniques Inverters, and can offer technical support for all of the brands offered. We only stock the drives we personally use in the system solutions and the service side of our company, allowing us to offer advice, support and technical assistance first hand.

If you require assistance with retro fitting a newer AC Inverter drive to replace an older obsolete model, please call us on 01905 887 667 and we will happily help you to select a compatible equivalent. We also sell Accessories and add on Modules such as I/O communication cards, encoder cards and Dynamic Brake Resistors


Inverter Manufacturers


Control Techniques

TECDrive Logo

Control Techniques Inverters have been in business since 1973 and are the largest drive manufacturer in the UK. Famous for the KTK drives and the Mentor range in the 80's, Control Techniques have continued to show their enthusiasm within the Inverter market and have continuously enhanced their product ranges and offerings to keep up to date with market demands. Now owned by the NIDEC group they have presence worldwide, with 40 drive centres, 4 manufacturing sites and 4 engineering and design facilities.



TEC Drive

TECDrive Logo


TECDrive AC inverters are a recent addition to the growing TEC range. Offering simple setup, along with multiple built in macros, they offer great value.


Lenze

Lenze Logo


The Lenze range of AC inverters are frequently used on conveyor systems or production lines. They have multiple safety features, such as 'Safe Torque Off' modules and interlocking.





Parker

Parker Logo


Parker offer industry leading AC Inverters. With high end features such as Sensorless Vector and Microstepping included as standard even in the AC10 range, making for a feature rich and cost effective range.



Yaskawa

Yaskawa Logo


Yaskawa are the largest manufacturer of AC inverters in the world. They offer class leading reliability and superb features, all in a compact package.



What Is a VFD?


Solar

A VFD or Inverter can be used in industrial and commercial applications. They can monitor and alter functions such as acceleration, flow, pressure, speed, temperature, tension, and torque. As mentioned above, fixed speed loads subject the motor to a high starting torque and to current surges that are up to eight times the full-load current. To alleviate this strain, AC drives instead gradually ramp the motor up to operating speed to lessen mechanical and electrical stress, reducing maintenance and repair costs, and extending the life of the motor and the driven equipment. AC Inverters can also run a motor in specialized patterns to further minimize mechanical and electrical stress. For example, an S-curve pattern can be applied to a conveyor application for smoother deceleration and acceleration control, which reduces the backlash that can occur when a conveyor is accelerating or decelerating.

Inverters are also becoming very popular in Renewable energy applications. In photovoltaic purposes (solar panels etc) the inverter, which is usually a PWM VSD, gets fed by the DC electrical energy output of a photovoltaic module or array. The inverter then converts this into an AC voltage to be sent to a battery bank or the grid. Inverters may also be employed in other renewable systems, such as wind turbines. In these applications, the turbine speed usually varies causing changes in voltage frequency and sometimes in the magnitude. In this case, the generated voltage can be rectified and then inverted to stabilize frequency and magnitude.


What Are The Advantages Of AC Inverters?

AC inverters offer many benefits. Most motors in industrial applications are specced to allow for headroom, meaning they are oversized. These motors very rarely run at full load, so waste energy can be significant. Using an Inverter in such systems can lead to large cost savings, either when retro fitting a drive to the existing system, or by not having to oversize the motor and system in the first place when designing new systems.


Inverters also allow for the control of starting currents, reducing the initial 'shock' on your motor and increasing the longevity of the motor. Acceleration and deceleration can also be controlled, reducing bearing wear and increasing the intervals between belt replacement when used with pulleys. Torque can also be limited, preventing unwanted damage to machinery.

How Much Could An Inverter Save?

This infographic has been designed to give an idea of the savings that can be made when fitting an AC Inverter to a fan or pump application.

 

Click on the Image to view it full screen:



Infographic Energy Savings



Inverter System

Why Buy Inverters from ACDC Drives?

We keep all inverters up to 55kW  on the shelf, so if you need it next day it is no problem! We all know that in the modern workplace, things are often needed as quickly as possible. That is where we can help. We can also get engineers out to site, to carry out surveys or to install and commission drives on existing or new applications. Call our sales team today by phone on 01905 887 667.