Hennepin Tech receives five servo motor and drive demo stations from KEB America and a cash match through PMMI’s U Skills Fund.   Shakopee, Minnesota, August 1, 2023 – KEB America, Inc., a subsidiary of KEB Automation KG and the North American provider of motion control and industrial automation solutions, today announces its donation of five servo motor and drive demo stations to enhance the learning experience of Hennepin Technical College’s students pursuing careers in packaging, processing, and automation. In addition to receiving KEB America’s equipment, Hennepin Technical Co ..read more

KEB engineers answer a few frequently asked questions about elevator drive harmonics and why it’s an important factor to consider in your elevator drive application.   1. How does a VFD create harmonic distortion? The input rectifier stage of a 6-pulse VFD draws non-linear (non-sinusoidal) current from the power supply. A VFD’s total rms current draw contains current components at both the fundamental frequency (60Hz) and at frequencies at higher harmonic orders (300Hz, 420Hz, etc.). An electrical load (i.e. VFD or a computer power supply) that draws a significant amount of current harmon ..read more

Commercial electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent on the road and the job site as the world continues to move towards a more sustainable future. One advantage of commercial EVs over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles is that EVs have fewer moving parts, potentially improving reliability. Despite technological advancements, some reservations remain regarding the robustness and dependability of the high-powered electronic components in commercial electric vehicles. To address these concerns, it’s important to prioritize operational reliability when it comes to component selection a ..read more

  VFDs and Single Phase AC Motors My first job out of school was with a motor manufacturer providing technical support. Being in the Midwest, we had a lot of farm and agricultural customers. Their applications ranged from running fans, pumps, elevators, agitators, augers, conveyors, etc. The farm installations often didn’t have access to three-phase power and had to make do with single-phase 230V. We sold a lot of single-phase Farm Duty/Ag motors into these installations. People often wanted to run the motors at reduced speeds so they asked, “Is it possible to add a VFD to my single phas ..read more

Learn the basics of a 3-phase AC induction motor, one of today’s most common types of industrial electric motors. This overview will explain what 3-phase power is, how Faraday’s law works, understand the main components of an induction motor, and the effect of the number of stator poles on the rated speed and torque of a motor. Watch the video below for an overview of 3-phase AC induction motors.     What is 3 Phase Power? The first concept to understand about a 3-phase induction motor is the first part of its name – three-phase power. A single-phase power supply uses two wires to p ..read more

The KEB T6 Auxiliary Inverter offers several useful application programs, called “apps,” which can be used to add functionality and simplify inverter setup. In addition to general-purpose apps created by KEB (i.e., Torque Speed Control, J1939 Process Data Gateway), third parties can develop custom application programs. Such functions can range from simple test routines to highly-specialized modes of control. Read more: What’s an App? Understand the App Utility FrameworkRead more: What is the Torque Speed Control App?Read more: What is the J1939 Process Data Gateway App? Why custom apps? Custo ..read more

KEB Canada offers local sales and support of KEB’s industrial automation solutions to The Greater Toronto Area   Oakville, Ontario, June 1, 2023 – KEB America, Inc., a subsidiary of KEB Automation KG and the North American provider of motion control and industrial automation solutions, today announces the opening of KEB Canada at 2010 Winston Park Dr., Suite 200, Oakville, ON L6H 5R7. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) sales office reflects KEB America’s growth and commitment to better serving North American customers in the Canadian market. KEB Canada will act as a hub for KEB’s sales operat ..read more

The input stage of a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) often generates undesirable harmonic distortion, but this issue can be mitigated effectively by implementing a harmonic filter. This article overviews VFDs, how the VFD input stage creates harmonic distortion, the negative effects of harmonics, and how harmonic filters reduce these harmonics in industrial applications.  VFD Basics Variable frequency drives (VFDs) used in industrial applications provide many benefits, including energy savings, better process control, extended component lifetime, and increased machine safety when utilizing fun ..read more

Spring applied brakes are safe and reliable solutions for electrified vehicle applications. These failsafe brakes provide the appropriate stopping power and static holding for tractors, electric forklifts, cargo haulers, material handling, and utility vehicles. When selecting a spring applied brake for electrified vehicles, buyers should consider several factors to ensure they choose the most appropriate brake for their specific application.   KEB spring set brake product   Brake Usage – Static Holding and Dynamic Braking Static holding and dynamic braking are techniques used to cont ..read more

 The KEB T6 Auxiliary Inverter offers several useful application programs, or “apps,” that simplify the implementation of CAN J1939 communications. An app receives the ECU’s messages, organizes them according to the application, and decides what commands are sent to the inverter to control the motor. Each auxiliary can implement different apps based on the complexity and flexibility required. One of these is the J1939 Process Data Gateway (PDG) app, which is the most flexible in terms of both functionality and communications. Whereas other apps, such as the Torque/Speed Control app, have pre ..read more