2013 Product of the Year finalists: Electrical Controls

Medium-voltage MCC

The Ampgard XP3 is a medium-voltage motor control center (MCC) designed to deliver industry-leading diagnostics and enhanced safety in critical industrial environments. By helping identify equipment fatigue and simplify preventative maintenance, this MCC helps meet the challenges of today’s demanding motor control environments, including oil and gas, utility, water and wastewater, petrochemical, and mining applications. The Ampgard XP3 MCC incorporates patent-pending algorithms that are designed to monitor fuse, contactor, and motor fatigue to minimize unscheduled downtime, and support preventative maintenance and reliable operations. The MCC also provides superior contactor-fuse coordination to quickly clear faults and minimize equipment damage upstream and downstream from the device.

Eaton
www.eaton.com 

Motor control center

The XT MCC provides users with a powerful, flexible offering that is capable of servicing all motor control applications. The XT features a rugged, NEMA-rated contactor with a large installed base and improved reliability. Eaton’s FlashGard technology within the XT prevents and protects personnel and equipment from the dangers of arc flash by enabling the unit’s stabs to be retracted from or engaged onto the vertical bus while its door remains closed. Further, the XT’s compact unit footprint enables one MCC structure to be populated with a maximum of 12 units, making it ideal for applications where a limited installation footprint is available.

Eaton
www.eaton.com 

Cabinet cooler system

The Dual 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler system keeps electrical enclosures cool with 20 F (-7 C) air while resisting heat and corrosion that could adversely affect the internal components. The wear, corrosion, and oxidation resistance of Type 316 stainless steel assures long life and maintenance-free operation. The high cooling capacity of up to 5,600 BTU/hr is ideal for large electrical enclosures and high heat loads. Models with lower cooling capacities for NEMA 12, 4, and 4X enclosures are also available. Applications include cooling control panels used in food processing, pharmaceutical, foundries, heat treating, chemical processing, and other corrosive locations.

EXAIR Corporation
www.exair.com 

Wireless, battery-less pushbuttons

Utilizing wireless technology, Harmony XB5R wireless, batteryless push buttons eliminate cabling and accessories between the push button and the electric cabinet. The new wireless I/O modules operate as the intermediary between the transmitter and the PLC, providing open connectivity to the network, receiving radio signals from the transmitters, and converting them to communication protocols. Depending on the model, the access point connects to the PLC using either the RS485 Modbus serial line or the Modbus/TCP protocol. If required by the application, an external or relay antenna can be used to improve signal reception. Each access point can support up to 60 radio transmitters.

Schneider Electric
www.schneider-electric.com 

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.