A soft starter is an extra component that may be attached to a standard electric motor to employ a different start-up method. The goal of this device is to lessen the strain placed on the motor during the regular motor power-up phase. A soft starter will gradually increase the supplied voltage to a motor, this allows to reduce mechanical damage brought on by torque transients and steps as well as electrical interference caused during motor start-up. This makes it possible for power to accelerate gradually in contrast to most conventional start-ups. As a result, the motor’s circuits see less general wear and tear, which makes the machine generally healthier and less prone to breaking prematurely.

Why install Soft Starters?

There are several benefits associated with installing soft starters:

• Energy Reduction
  Aiming to use less energy when using machines is always a good option, it stands to reason that a soft starter would be involved in this. With a normal start, the motor instantly starts using the most energy possible and keeps doing so the entire time it is operating. Whereas, with a soft start, voltage steadily increases to its maximum. As a result, less energy is used overall.
• Increase operational efficiency by minimising overheating risk
  A motor may occasionally overheat due to the significant energy spike that occurs during a typical start-up. Although this overheating may be harmless, it can also result in the motor briefly shutting down and even lead to permanent damage. It should be obvious that a gentle start lacks the initial burst of power. Instead, a mild power surge is applied to the motor, considerably reducing the possibility of overheating and can lead to an overall increase in efficiency.
• Extend lifespan by reducing power surge risks
  There is a chance that the circuits will be overloaded, and the motor will experience a power surge when the maximum voltage is abruptly rushed for a conventional start-up. An ideal solution against power surges is a soft start. The voltage increases gradually rather than being pumped into the circuits all at once.
• Possible Starts Per Hour Increase
  A typical motor needs a lot of energy to start up. This mean that, depending on the application, it might not be able to start up too frequently in a given hour. However, a soft start allows a motor to start more frequently because it uses less energy each time it turns on.

The differences between a conventional start and a soft start can be seen below.

When comparing the voltage between a soft starter and a DOL, the DOL experiences a direct inrush of voltage while a soft starter requires more time to get up to full voltage

The DOL gets the motor up to speed almost instantly, whereas, with the soft starter, the time the motor gets up to speed is slower and more controlled.

Why choose AuCom Soft Starters?

 AuCom has a wide range of application-based soft starters whether they are for a simple motor start or a fully featured motor control solution.

EMX4 Soft Starter

The EMX4 Soft Starter has set a new benchmark for soft start technology. Along with being more compact, powerful, and loaded with fresh control and security features, the EMX4 also introduces the revolutionary Smart Card capability.

The role of a soft starter is redefined by the EMX4 Smart Card; it can transform your motor controller into a complete system controller. Smart Cards can be easily inserted into the EMX4 and provide functionality specific to a given industry or application, simplifying setup, installation, and system design. A system can be specifically designed around a single central point of intelligent control and communications by transforming a EMX4 Soft Starter with a Smart Card tailored to specific applications such as pumping applications. Utilising this technology can give greater control and increase a system’s general efficiency.

The EMX4 has been designed to offer more functionality than ever before. The enhanced display and connectivity can increase efficiency by making it simpler to access the right information at the right time. In the worst-case scenario, Power Through and Emergency Run functions give the option to continue running your operations.

IPD offers two variants of the AuCom EMX4 soft starter:

CSXi Soft Starter

Greater control over the starting and stopping of three phase motors is possible with the CSX Series soft starter. The CSXi features a soft start system that includes motor protection.

Being a constant current system the CSXi soft starter comes with current measurement and control features. The CSXi offers several motor protection functions, such as motor overload, phase loss, and excess start time, in addition to soft start and soft stop. It also features a programmable relay.

Without the need for an external bypass contactor, the CSXi soft starter is a small unit that can be mounted in a switchboard or motor control centre. To reduce operating costs, the CSXi soft starters comes with an internal bypass feature. The CSXi soft starter is the most energy efficient option for fixed speed applications with variable load because it operates at a 99.5% efficiency rate and produces no harmonics.

References

1. aucom.com. 2022. EMX4i Soft Starter. [online] Available Here: [Accessed 8 November 2022].
2. aucom.com. 2022. EMX4e Soft Starter. [online] Available Here: [Accessed 8 November 2022].
3. aucom.com. 2022. CSXi Soft Starter. [online] Available Here: [Accessed 8 November 2022].