Housed in a rectangular enclosure, Eaton's Rapid Link 4.0 decentralized drive system has same fixing dimensions for motor starters and frequency inverters of up to 2.2 kW. As only one fixing bracket is required for the entire range, swapping of a frequency inverter for a motor starter requires little effort. The power and motor cable can be fed in from the left or right and from the bottom. In this way, the operator level and the cooling fins of the frequency inverter are always in the optimum position. Any derating of the electrical values for the side entry of power and motor cables is unnecessary. A guard ring largely protects the operating elements and electronic terminals from mechanical damage. The optionally integrated and lockable isolating switch enables the Rapid Link unit itself and also the connected motor to be disconnected safely from the mains supply for maintenance tasks. All sizes and variants are still provided with IP65 protection. The RAMO4 motor starter is suitable for motors up to 3kW. Thanks to the electronic motor start, the lifespan of the new devices has been tripled, compared to the RAMO3, with up to 10 million operating cycles at 3 kW. An operating frequency of up to 3000 operations per hour is also possible, as well as a motor load of 2.2 kW. Furthermore, one single frame size covers the range from 0.3 to 3 kW. This is also the case in an increased temperature range up to 55°C without derating. The RA-SP4 frequency inverter can be switched from V/f mode to speed control, thus reducing the number of variants required. In addition to the previous frame sizes for 0.75, 1.1 and 2.2 kW, a 1.5 kW rating class is also being offered. All frame sizes have the same mounting dimensions, thus improving engineering and flexibility during commissioning. The external fan unit with IP 65 protection is standard for frame size 2.2kW, and can be used for all other frame sizes, thus expanding the temperature range to 55°C without derating. In addition to the Quick Stop function, users can program cyclical sequences with fixed frequencies in the RA-SP4. Repeating sequences can thus be stored in the RA-SP4, so that the processing required in the PLC is reduced. Another highlight of the series is the integrated brake chopper which can be factory shipped for any frame size. In this way, time consuming installation work on site is no longer necessary. Communication, via AS-I, has also been improved. The 7.4 protocol compatibility with previous versions opens up a number of new communication options between the PLC and the motor starter. These include enhanced diagnostics messages such as motor currents or the transfer of parameter data. Users can now change the set frequencies via the fieldbus, such as the RA-SP.
Edited by: Teoman Tugsuz
