How Do AC Motors Work?
AC Motors and ControlsLearning ResourcesMotorsOnline BlogProduct

How Do AC Motors Work?

AC motors are electric motors driven by alternating current (AC). AC motors are widely used in industry, primarily due to their high efficiency, and their ability to produce constant torque up to the rated speed. AC Motor Types The two most widely used types of AC motors are induction motors and synchronous motors. How AC…
Selecting Motors for Industrial Applications
+Tech TopicsAC Motors and ControlsLearning ResourcesMotion ControlMotorsOnline OnlyProductVariable Speed Drives

Selecting Motors for Industrial Applications

Efficient use of motors is always important, but there are many other things to consider when specifying an electric motor. Mechanical and environmental considerations are on the list, as is the application and operation. All of these factors are important, but the application is where the selection process should start. How to Select a Motor…
Pulp Processor Speeds Production of Healthy Supplement
AgricultureApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightDrivesEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 33 - 2015Learning ResourcesMotorsNotebook IssueProcess ControlProductStudent SpotlightStudent Spotlight

Pulp Processor Speeds Production of Healthy Supplement

Students at Penn State have been working on a Baobab pulp processor in conjunction with the residents of villages in Benin, Malawi, South Africa, and Madagascar. Native to Africa, “Baobab” is the common name for the Adansonia tree and the fruit that it bears. There has been quite a bit of hype surrounding the health…
Converting a Mill/Drill and Installing a VFD
AC Motors and ControlsApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookDrivesEducation/DIYEnclosures & AccessoriesIndustryIssue 33 - 2015Learning ResourcesMachine ControlMachine ToolMotorsNotebook IssueProductUser SolutionsVariable Speed Drives

Converting a Mill/Drill and Installing a VFD

Several years ago I purchased a Wadkin lathe made in England in late 1964. It is equipped with a very special motor that is 220V, three-phase and 50Hz. Because of the special design of the motor, it has a long extended shaft that carries the four sheave pulley, and because I do not have three-phase…
Ladder Logic in Action
+Tech TopicsDiscrete SensingeBookLearning ResourcesMotorsOnline OnlyPLC eBookProcess Sensing & ControlProductProgrammable Control

Ladder Logic in Action

Ladder logic programming for industrial controllers has evolved significantly over the years, and now supports advanced functionality such as process control, motion control, data manipulation, networking, and data acquisition. However, when you start with a blank page to design a new control system, large or small, there are many basic functions this tried-and-true language is…