The machines installed in a plant must have an overall thought about reliability and energy efficient design. The reduction of mechanical linkages like belts and gearboxes will result in power saving of anything from 20% to 54%. Further, the use of motors with efficiency higher by 5 to 10% and power factor improvement will lead to a multiplied effect. Consider the diagram here.

Through the research and many experiments in Europe the discovery of permanent magnet brushless motors in high torque and low RPM has given way to both the above arguments. The brushless motor, like any other motor, is built up on the delivered torque and not on the yielded power.

As a consequence, in any application a low speed of the motor will correspond to a low specific power and a low yield. Nevertheless we must point out that the brushless motor contemplates no minimum speed (it purely depends on the sensor; some applications are available with axle speed of 1 revolution per year). Consequently, the decision to act on the transmission to allow a high rotating speed of the motor is acceptable only when it is important to minimise the size of the motor, (i.e., with electric traction) or to maximize the yield; on the contrary.

Thus by using torque motors and brushless servo motors introduced by Compage Automation Systems, one can get rid of many mechanical linkages and calculate the per hour saving as follows:

Saving in Rs per hour = kW saved per hour x 4.5

Where:

hp = Motor nameplate rating L = Load factor or percentage of full operating Load Estd = Standard motor efficiency under actual Load conditions multiplied with the efficiency of belt drive/gear box EHE = New-efficiency of motor and without gearing arrangement under Actual load conditions

Working in the electronics field since 1990, the main area of expertise for Compage Automation Systems has been automation, using PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The company is engaged in designing hardware supply, software development, installation and commissioning. It undertakes engineering, retrofitting or upgradation of electrical/electronic control of paper mills, printing machine tools. The simple rule is to take very reliable electronics, fully absorb the know-how and work for few big projects dedicatedly. The bulk and repeat business follows naturally. Today the intense desire of the industry is to locate any automation device, which can prepare them for international level of completion. Compage helps fulfill this desire. It offers a series of PLCs based on latest chips which offer speed - better interconnectivity - cost effectiveness.

(Anil Aggarwal, MD, Compage Automation Systems Pvt Ltd, New Delhi. Tel: 011-23589778, 0129-2272335. Fax: 91-129-2272336. Email: info@compageautomation.com)