Driving Permanent Magnet Motors: Control Techniques’ New C300 PM VFD

Control Techniques (previously known as KTK) has been producing drive systems for electric motors for over 50 years. Today, Control Techniques is a division of the Nidec group, offering a wide range of motor and drive system control products.

 

Control Techniques VFDs

Control Techniques focuses its product line mostly on AC and DC drives but also supports servo drives and motors, small HMIs, and PLCs. The flagship product, the Commander C variable frequency drive, is Control Techniques’ general-purpose drive system, offering a flexible and feature-rich platform for many applications.

Recently, Control Techniques has expanded the Commander C line with the new C300 PM.

 

The new C300 PM in the Commander C series. Image courtesy of Control Techniques, a Nidec brand

 

C300 PM VFD for Permanent Magnet Motors

The C300 PM is designed on the same platform as the C200 and C300, except that the C300 PM is designed to maximize the efficiency of permanent magnet motors. The drive system monitors system load and can dynamically adjust parameters to accommodate varying load conditions, resulting in less wear on equipment and less downtime for machines.

In addition to operating motors efficiently, the C300 PM was designed to work with sensorless permanent magnet motors, hence the ‘PM’ in the product name. These motors are commonly used in pumping applications or HVAC systems. The C300 PM includes PID features that can automatically adjust parameters based on changing system pressure and flow.

HVAC systems can account for a large portion of a building's energy usage, the C300 PM has features that allow the HVAC system to run at the demand required by the building and allow operators and building managers to monitor energy usage. The device even has a Fire mode which, when it’s connected to a building's smoke extraction system and has been activated, the drive will run at maximum capability until failure.

 

Control Techniques’ flagship Commander C series. Image courtesy of Control Techniques, a Nidec brand

 

Commander VFD Features

The C300 PM is built on the Commander product line, containing all the same features found on the C200 or the C300.

All the models have an integrated PLC that allows for programmable functions, advanced I/O features, and overall system control without the need for an external control system. The Commander models use a quick startup feature which requires technicians to set just four parameters to quickly commission a driving motor system. This quick start feature reduces integration time and lowers the learning curve on more advanced systems.

Communication modules can be purchased separately and installed at the time of commissioning. Common industrial field busses are supported such as Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, PowerLink, and PROFINET.

Safety is always an important feature when it comes to motion control devices. All of the Commander series devices have dual safe torque off (STO) which allows for the series to be certified at the highest level of machine safety SIL3/PLe. This feature prevents the motor from moving unexpectedly when connected to safety output control devices.

All of the Commander series devices are designed for general-purpose use, meaning that the system is flexible enough in terms of additional add-on features and physical size, that the system could be used in virtually any motion control application. OEMs prefer drive systems that can be easily customized and configured to work with changing customer requirements, and the Commander series provides that flexibility.