Three-phase microdrive cuts energy use

Mitsubishi has introduced a three-phase version of its single-phase FR-S520 microdrive. The 400V FR-S520 uses the same "optimised excitation control" function as the larger FR-F700 drives to cut energy consumption by up to 45%, compared to earlier drives.

The drive (above), which spans ratings from 0.4-3.7kW, has a 200% overload capacity. It can be configured so that only 12 chosen parameters are freely accessible, the rest being password-protected to prevent tinkering by unauthorised personnel.

Instead of a keypad, the drive has an easy-to-use "digital dial". Other functions include: motor slip compensation during start-up; automatic torque boost, restarts, flying starts and controlled shutdowns; and "soft PWM" for low switching noise.

An RS-485 interface is available allowing up to 32 drives to be connected to one network.