Electricity + Control March 2017

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take note
DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR
SOD architecture facilitates simple and quick maintenance repair
procedures. A lifetime monitoring system is also embedded in an
SOD-enabled drive. This system issues warnings when parts are likely
to wear out (this depends upon operating time and environmen-
tal conditions) and when warranties are about to run out.
Start up and commissioning benefits
‘The system issues warnings when parts are
likely to wear out and when warranties are about
to run out.’
The proper start-up and commissioning of VSDs
is not a trivial exercise and the penalty for doing it
wrong can lead to unanticipated downtime. Experts
who perform the start-up of ‘on-load’ VSDs over and
over are well equipped to make sure the process is smooth
and painless.
The time savings that result assure faster time to market and the
risks of poor operation of a new installation are minimised. The SOD
approach serves as a high level commissioning tool. The feedback
provided by the intelligence of the drive indicates whether the system
is functioning as specified. In addition, asset specific documentation
access is instant. With the addition of these very early field service
reports, documentation history is complete and recorded starting
Day One.
Preventive and predictive maintenance planning
Electromechanical and mechanical devices such as transformers, cir-
cuit breakers, motors, gearboxes and mechanical transmission have
a predictable behaviour allowing their maintenance to be planned.
Models exist which have compiled operating time, load and torque,
and temperature data and established sets of rules for when these
components can be expected to fail.
Similar rules for VSDs (since they are electronic devices as op-
posed to the aforementioned electromechanical and mechanical
devices) are unclear and more unpredictable. However, SODs can
act as ‘smart’ sensors, and collect data on all of the key parameters
affecting the driveline lifetime (such as operating time, temperatures,
torque, main voltage, currents).
Through such monitoring, the SODs can compute future out-
comes for those chain elements that are predictable, and to perform
statistical analysis on those components in the driveline that are not
predictable. Recent surveys indicate that global process industries
lose an estimated $20 billion annually due to unscheduled downtime
(equivalent to 5% of production revenue).
This loss significantly impacts factory profitability and efficiency.
In order to address this issue, many industries are reducing overall
downtime impact by migrating to technologies designed specifically
to maximise uptime.
Conclusion
The SOD approach represents a new generation of devices that are
integrated with services which allow for minimal downtime. The ‘built
in’ capabilities of SOD-enabled devices help manufacturers
to begin their migration to future ‘smart’ factories by
connecting key devices and transmitting digitised
information that allows for preventative actions in
the maintenance arena.
In the short term, SODs will make reactive
and preventive maintenance operations more
efficient. In the longer term, data collection and
analysis capabilities begin to allow predictive
maintenance to become a reality. The SOD concept
allows for a transition from reactive to anticipative
maintenance, which is at the heart of all maintenance
operation strategies.
Philippe Hampikian is the Field Services Offer Director for VSDs within Sch-
neider Electric's Industry Business Unit. He holds a Master of Engineering
degree from Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (Paris, France)
and a MBA from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris, ESCP-EAP (Paris,
France). Most of his career has been spent both developing and marketing
Industrial Automation solutions. He is currently responsible for developing
services for supporting VSD installations.
Enquiries: PriscaMashanda. Email
• VSDs have proliferated and are installed in large numbers
throughout various industries.
• Since these technologies are relatively new, not much
thought has been given to the integration of these drives.
• Nor have their potential energy savings been fully realised.
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