As an entrepreneur, you have so many things to prioritize, from preventative maintenance, machine repair, and safety standards, to costs of materials, reducing waste, and of course, the end quality.
And each of these areas requires your special attention. If your business needs either a synchronous motor such as a brushless DC motor or an induction motor, you might be wondering what considerations are necessary before making a decision.
So, when choosing an induction motor for your business, we've listed the essential things you need to consider.
The Fundamentals
The first step to specifying an induction motor is the supply voltage, the base speed, and the horsepower rating. Furthermore, another vital consideration is the enclosure; you will need to know if the motor has mounting feet, a flange, or if it can have both.
Beyond that, you should also consider the environmental details. Therefore, consider whether the enclosure can manage rain and falling water and cold and hot temperatures without faulting. If you need a motor that can function well outdoors, opt for total enclosed fan cooled induction motors or total enclosed non-vented induction motors.
Alternatively, if the motor will be in a clean and dry environment, open drip-proof induction motors are a good choice.
The Inverter Duty
Some changes to the operating speed of motors, variable frequency drives are fast becoming popular methods of better controlling AC motors. As a result, you should give special consideration to the amount of noise the induction motor creates. So, while the most suitable motor should have a variable frequency drive or VFD, you should also consider the voltage rating.
The voltage rating of the magnetic wire in the motor windings can range from 1000V to 1600V. The most common voltage is typically 1200V.
Next, you must consider the constant torque or CT turndown. This factor determines how slow the motor can run while still delivering the same torque.
Beyond that, you should also ask how the motor stays cool. Perhaps it has a shaft mount fan. You must be confident the induction motor has adequate means of staying cool; otherwise, it won't last long at all.
Torque and Horsepower
The following vital consideration is the base speed of the motor. The motor's base speed is relevant to the number of poles. As a side note, the more poles and the higher the base speed, the larger the motor and the more expensive the price tag will be as a general standard.
You might also want to switch speed for torque. When the speed of the motor increases, the torque automatically decreases. On the other hand, horsepower must also be taken into consideration.
These considerations will help you find an induction motor that is perfectly suitable for your business needs. Should you neglect these considerations, there's a good chance you will end up with an induction motor that isn't powerful enough for the application? Alternatively, you might end up spending a lot more than you need to after purchasing a motor that is too powerful for the application.
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