Case Study
Optidrive IP55 keeps out coolant and metal dust
Problem
A variable frequency drive for applications where dirt, dust, water and pollution are present normally adds considerable cost to the installation of a VFD.
Solution
With Optidrive's P2 IP55 enclosure, the wash down enclosure is designed to resist low-pressure water, dust, dirt and chemicals in industrial environments.
Completion Products Pte Limited
Pipe drilling at Completion Products Pte Limited, based in Tuas, and hard disk manufacturing at an engineering plant in Singapore involving multiple drilling and deburring processes, have both reported successes with the implementation of the Optidrive P2 IP55.
For variable speed drive applications where dirt, dust, water and pollution are present the use of a protective cabinet can add enormously to the cost of drive installation. The washdown duty Optidrive IP55 / NEMA12 enclosure drive has been designed to resist low-pressure water, dust, dirt and chemicals and features a rugged industrial 40°C ambient rating for hot and tough applications.
Systems Integration
LHF Engineering of Singapore are the systems integration specialist responsible for installing the Optidrive P2 IP55 in the computer hard-disk case manufacturing plant, where precision control of the drilling operations was paramount. The cases are subsequently put through a deburring process where the edges of the component are smoothed by a metal brush.
In the application at Completion Products, multiple, simultaneous pipe drilling is undertaken in an environment where coolant can frequently splash onto the variable speed drives.
The Optidrive P2 IP55 was able to meet all of the control parameters required, including the need for extremely short acceleration and deceleration times in the drilling operations. The drive has also proved to be highly successful in withstanding the high humidity and coolant splash.
The large amounts of metal dust generated during deburring, which creates an environment that is normally extremely hostile to electronic devices, has similarly posed no problems for the Optidrive IP55.
Over 100 Drives Supplied
Over 100 IP55 Optidrive P2 variable frequency drives have now been supplied for these two applications. These include switched versions that offer local start-stop and speed adjustment and hence provide excellent operational flexibility.
The drives were supplied by Invertek Drives Far East, based in Singapore.
