The ac drives manufacturer Vacon has developed an ATEX-certified thermistor input which is fully integrated in the drive.
Certified and compliant with the European ATEX directive 94/9/ECthe integrated thermistor input is specially designed for the temperature supervision of motors that are placed in potentially hazardous areas. Howeverthe drives as such cannot be placed in a hazardous area.
This feature simplifies the use of drives together with Ex motorsie motors that are designed and certified for use in potentially explosive environments. If over-temperature is detectedthe drive immediately stops feeding energy to the motor and thus further heating of the motor is avoided. As no external components are neededthe cabling is kept to a minimum. This improves reliability and saves both space and costs.
Explosive atmospheres where supervision of motor temperatures is required are widely found in the chemicalpetrochemicalmarinemetalmechanical woodworkingmining and oil drilling industries.
Vacon Plc is based in VaasaFinland. www.vacon.com
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