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Precision Motion Control
Dynamic Fluid Solutions
100 East Erie Street, Kent, OH 44240 U.S.A.
Tel: 330-673-3452 Fax: 330-677-3306
www.ametektip.com
THE BENEFITS OF AMETEK CUSTOM PROGRAMMABLE AND
CONTROLLABLE MOTORS, BLOWERS, FANS AND PUMPS
Steve Griffiths
Phone: (330) 677-3729
Email: [email protected]
Introduction
Fans, blowers, and other air/fluid movement products have benefitted from many technology
improvements in recent decades, primarily with the long life and controllability offered by electrically
commutated brushless technology. AMETEK’s Precision Motion Control Division is a leading innovator
of programmable and controllable air movement solutions that are viable across a myriad of
applications and business segments. These solutions offer original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s)
the greatest design flexibility during the product development stage, and provide end users with the
highest level of product control, efficiency and long life.
Benefits
Controllability
Functional controllability is especially useful for any application that derives efficiency and operational
improvements through variable speed performance whether it be linear, non-linear, or step function
operation. Being able to “dial in” a specific operating point in a “real-time, on-demand” environment
eliminates wasteful energy costs associated with over performance. Also, allowing a series of discreet
“step” speed levels gives product end users their own controllability (consider a professional chef grade
food blender), allowing for performance that individual users can tune to their own unique design and
operational requirements.
The controllability offered in AMETEK blower technology recently provided a solution in a high end
industrial application. A request was made to have a single blower model able to function in various
operating modes for usage in multiple customer SKU’s. This feature provided the OEM with higher
volume buying power, reduced procurement/engineering administrative work, and other operational
efficiencies. Specifically, this OEM needed an AMETEK Windjammer Blower to provide 10 distinct steady
state speeds of operation for one SKU. For a second SKU, the same blower was only required to deliver a
simple high/low speed operation. Beyond the request to have all of these features achieved in the same
blower model, the solution was made more challenging as the OEM provided a relatively tight 0 to10V
control signal voltage range. AMETEK’s solution was to develop a “built-in” digital lookup table interface
to the customers input signal voltage which allowed for the 10 distinct operating speeds. The same
lookup table also allowed for the simpler high/low speed operation by processing the remaining lower
end of the signal level range. This operation, detailed in Figure 1, was successfully achieved in the same
blower through the embedded software capability in AMETEK’s “Intelligen II ™” electronics controller.
And because the AMETEK blower was delivered pre-programmed to the customer’s specification, there
was no need for additional adjustments or changes by the customer. The OEM was able to simply take
advantage of the “plug and play” capability allowed by the embedded software in the Intelligen II TM
design.
Precision Motion Control
Dynamic Fluid Solutions
100 East Erie Street, Kent, OH 44240 U.S.A.
Tel: 330-673-3452 Fax: 330-677-3306
www.ametektip.com
FIGURE 1 – Signal Voltage “Step” Values to Achieve 10 Speed Blower Operation
Universal Usage at Varying Power Inputs (100 -240VAC)
Beyond the controllability and long life characteristics that are offered through innovative technology, a
motor/blower electronic controller can also be designed to accept a continuously variable range of input
voltage levels, specifically 83VAC through 264VAC (versus dedicated fixed 120V, 240V etc inputs) while
maintaining similar product performance across the input range (see Figure 2). This Universal Drive (or
UD for short) is currently in use on many AMETEK Windjammer and Nautilair blower products. OEM’s
have the advantage of using the same model number for all domestic and international products,
limiting the need for additional model numbers in the procurement cycle, and allowing for maximum
flexibility of usage worldwide. All processing of the input power voltage is handled internal to the
AMETEK controller eliminating the need for additional design activity by the original equipment
manufacturer.
Precision Motion Control
Dynamic Fluid Solutions
100 East Erie Street, Kent, OH 44240 U.S.A.
Tel: 330-673-3452 Fax: 330-677-3306
www.ametektip.com
Figure 2 - Maximum Performance of AMETEK Blower at Various Input Voltages
Other Benefits
Being fully programmable, end users no longer need to develop their own control schemes, but can now
take advantage of an AMETEK technology for many operational functions including closed loop speed
control, maximum speed set, electric braking, current limit, over temperature, locked rotor protection,
soft start, custom acceleration/deceleration profiles, and others.
Conclusion
AMETEK’s electronic and software based functionality allows OEM’s the greatest design flexibility and
leveraged “on-the-fly” design changes for their large development projects that require motor and
blower products. Having the ability to make design changes via software reprogramming (as opposed to
making time consuming hardware circuit design modifications) provides cost savings, while assuring the
smoothest development path timeline for the design engineer. The software is remarkably versatile and
can be customized for any viable functional request needed by end users. AMETEK Windjammer and
Nautilair Blowers utilize Intelligen II ™ controller technology with custom embedded software providing
end users the lowest cost of operation as well as functional benefits and noise reduction. These
technology advances offered by AMETEK’s superior design flexibility will lend themselves to even future
feature capabilities that will further support OEM customers, allowing for in-the-field , on the fly
performance adjustments, real time diagnostic readings, and others.