| Powergear (Intelligent MCC) |
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| Introduction |
Today’s Industry demands more from its equipment to meet the needs of the Competitive environment. Electronics have changed the way things are done and no part of our lives is excluded from the use of Microprocessors to make things more efficient.
Lately, interest in the Intelligent Motor Control Centers (IMCCs) has increased significantly. “Intelligence is the ability to use & share Information Globally so as to continuously ensure desired control and Motor protection cost effectively”.
Intelligent MCCs represents a New and Functional approach to the switchgear architecture, utilizing new technologies without the limitation of the conventional components.
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| Motor control center evolution |
Motor Control originally had independent Starters located & operated near the Motors. The need to have centralized Control, Monitoring and Maintenance created the concept of Motor Control Center. The role of MCC, was and is, to provide a Compact, Modular, Centralized factory Built and cost effective Control. The Basic devices of MCC include a Power Switching, Short Circuit & Overload Protection, actuation and device status indication.
MCCs grew as a concept in 1970s because it offered many advantage over the separate Starters located near the Motors.
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- Less Power Distribution on line side.
- Cost effective.
- Single Source – Pre-assembled and Factory Tested.
- Space Saving.
- Excellent fault containment.
- Centralized operation and maintenance.
- Remote Control with interlock.
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Even today these original demands remain but business environment want more out of the equipment to manage the total factory more economically with preventive approach rather than post event related and less dependent on manpower.
Hence the need to pack the MCC with more Intelligence to satisfy the Management needs of today and tomorrow.
Motor Control Center evolution has been limited. Originally Control was based on Relay Logic until the PLCs arrived. The development and use of PLCs with MCCs has shifted the complex circuits from Hardwiring to Software within the Processor. The I/O modules are generally kept in a separate I/O Panel after using a marshalling Panel. This segregates Electrical & Instrumentation department responsibility.
An end user or his consultants generally decide the MCC Feeder ratings, equipment / component supplier, fault level and other specific design features relevant to the application. An intelligent MCCs can be designed using these preferences but at the same time, embrace the new technology using new intelligent components.
These new technologies and components offer at the minimum
- Intelligent devices with live performance Data
- Better Control and Protection with Communication
- Point level Diagnostics for Digital & Analog values
- Open Network Connectivity at Device level
- Pro-active and Predictive maintenance capability
- Fewer inventories
- Common Operator Panel on MCC instead of discrete Lamp & Push Button
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| Tommorow’s expectation |
Industry has realized and sensed that better utilization and management of their Assets will improve their bottom line. In the best of plants worldwide, Enterprise Asset Management System has become a critical component of their on going battle of optimizing maintenance and operation cost.
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| Consider the following findings: |
- “The single largest controllable expenditure in a plant is maintenance.”
- “In many plants maintenance budget exceeds annual net profit”.
- “Industrial maintenance averages 14 per cent of the cost of goods sold in many industries.”
- “An estimated one-third of maintenance budget is wasted due to improper or unnecessary practices.”
- One major U.S. automotive manufacturer has a maintenance staff of between 15,000 and 18,000, all plants combined. They say, “85 per cent to 90 per cent is crisis work” (breakdown).
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| Simple, but chilling statistics!! |
In a highly productivity oriented manufacturing setup, keeping the equipment running is the only thing that matters. As companies explore and seek to remedy high cost areas such as productivity optimization, automation and supply Chain management, maintenance is considered the next big frontier to cost saving.
In the Electrical arena, Motors account for about 80% the Electrical load as prime-movers. Intelligent MCC, with the technology available today, can offer an excellent Engineered solution to achieve Preventive, Predictive and Proactive maintenance by managing root cause of breakdown and extending the life cycle of the equipment.
With this realization, a well-designed and integrated Intelligent MCC should include the following capability.
- Individual equipment should be equipped with a device capable to Control, Protect and provide relevant Data via a Communication Port.
- A Device level Network able to transfer Data-periodically, conditionally or on request, to a Central Processing Unit.
- An extremely reliable Open Network with Diagnostic available on-line, to advise failure and status of individual point and node. On-line replacement of nodes / modules should be possible.
- Network interface to pass the Data of all the connected Devices to different Networks or CPUs.
- A Processor Unit either mounted locally on Intelligent MCC to form a part of Distributed Control or connected on the Network to a Central Plant DCS and MMI Control Station.
- A MMI Operator Station dedicated to connect the related Intelligent MCCs, Control Desks, and Push Button Stations.
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| Central Work Station(s) common for complete Plant should offer as a minimum: |
- Overview of the Power System.
- Front view of each Intelligent MCC with status of each feeder.
- Individual feeder Data available by a click on Compartment or SLD symbol.
- Capability to record Data to give trends and historical performance data of individual feeders.
- Capability of automatic event based generation of message or reports to Key Personal on email, Phone, Pager, Audio System, Mobile etc.
- Maintenance Planning & Scheduling.
- Bill of Material, Component specification, Vendor & Commercial information.
- AutoCAD Drawing of all Feeders.
- Important Product User Manuals & Technical information On-line.
- Capability of MIS Reports for Operation, Costing, Maintenance etc.
- Connectivity with Enterprise Resource Management System (e.g. SAP, BAAN).
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| Powergear Intelligent mccs |
- Engineered MCC CPRI tested with over two decades of experience.
- World renowned Intelligent devices to Monitor, Protect & Communicate.
- Open Local Network to connect devices – “DeviceNet”
- CPU Control, Programmable logic if desired, to have distributed Control with Communication link to upstream hierarchy – of Different Makes / Networks.
- In case it’s a part of centralized Control, fast Communication link-up with Centralized CPU.
- A Graphic Operator Terminal to be able to Monitor and Control and give Alarm & Event Summary, Help Screen, Event recording etc.
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| POWERGEAR today is a Division of PIMA CONTROLS |
POWERGEAR since 1975 is an established name manufacturing Custom-built equipment covering a range of LT and MV Motor Controls. PIMA CONTROLS PVT.LTD., incorporated in 1985, is a reputed company offering Automation solutions in all sectors of industries. Pima Controls Pvt. Ltd. offers engineering solution with their partner agreements for products and technical support of MNCs like Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley) and Prosoft Technology. Combining these Engineering strengths and Technological products, Powergear offers an Intelligent Motor Control Centers packed with all feature listed above and many more, Custom-built for your needs and imagination.
POWERGEAR also undertakes study and offers to upgrade existing MCCs installation to a level that can achieve a System as described herein so as to save your investments and get use today’s technology for Motor Control & its monitoring.
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