Most Indramat products don’t take time off. We typically see Indramat motion control systems that have been running virtually non-stop for decades — since the days when Indramat still existed as a company. However, if you find yourself powering up Indramat drives that haven’t been used in a while, you must be cautious.
If there has been significant downtime, take precautions when powering up Indramat drives so that you don’t completely fry the DC bus capacitors.
Why do you need to be careful when powering up Indramat drives?
Nearly all industrial electric equipment contains a part called an electrolytic capacitor — also known as a DC bus capacitor in Indramat drives. This device regulates power by storing an electric charge between two foil plates. The capacitor helps ensure proper function.
Cold capacitors have to be “reformed.” This means increasing the power to the capacitor in small increments. By gradually increasing power you give the caps time to warm up and adjust to the renewed charge on the plates.
Think of it like exercising. If you get up off the couch, go outside, and break into a full sprint, then there’s a good chance that you will pull a muscle. You have to warm up and ease into physical activity. You’re muscles have been inactive and putting sudden stress on them can result in failure.
It’s the same for cold capacitors.
If you fire up your Indramat system to full power without giving the capacitors adequate time to warm up and adjust, you better have a replacement in hand. The sudden load may very well ruin your drive.
Not sure how to restore your Indramat drive?
Remember to be careful when you power up your drives. Don’t shock the system — warm up the capacitors so that you don’t have to replace them earlier than expected. This is especially important to keep in mind if they’ve been inactive for an extended period of time.
While reforming the capacitors can work for some Indramat drives, it doesn’t work for all drives.
Calling an Indramat professional is the best thing to do when you are uncertain about how to handle your Indramat motion control system.
Whether you need support or an Indramat repair, give us a call at 479-422-0390, or contact us online. No matter what the problem is, we will be able to help you solve it.