Benefits of universal peripherals

There is a real danger in the specification of inverters for use in heavy-duty applications. Fresh from the manufacturer, most drives — even ones with onboard brake choppers — are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application. Here, John Mitchell of CP Automation, discusses the benefits of using a universal brake chopper that works with any inverter.

Non-specialist engineers face an extremely complex task when asked to choose the correct inverter, resistor and brake-chopper combination for a project.

To help counteract this problem, CP Automation recommends using an external brake chopper unit that simplifies the process of inverter selection. Where an inverter doesn’t feature a built-in brake chopper, the new CP Automation unit, manufactured to the highest standards, supplies that functionality. It’s a universal model that works with any inverter, from any manufacturer.

However, the fact that a product is universal doesn’t simplify the selection process by itself. You also need to ensure that you choose the right integration and maintenance partner, so you are not tied into a limited range of drives from a limited range of manufacturers.

A good maintenance partner will provide an honest view of whether you already have the correct resistor and, if you don’t, supply one as part of a package to help meet your specific objectives.

For instance, if the original inverter already has a brake chopper onboard it may be that the Ohmic value of the existing resistor doesn’t meet the criteria of the new one. This can lead to damage to the drive system and its environment and in worst-case scenarios, create health and safety problems.

CP Automation's universal unit is very flexible and extremely simple. The maintenance engineer simply connects two wires from the drive’s DC Bus and two wires from the resistor, and the system is up and running.

An additional benefit of the product’s universal nature is that, should you install a brake chopper and inverter package and the inverter then fails, the end user can simply install any drive, from any manufacturer. The brake chopper and resistor package doesn’t tie the user to certain equipment, as the equivalent bought direct from the drives manufacturer would.

This means manufacturers can bring a production line back to full service quicker than if the brake chopper and resistor package worked with only one inverter model.

It is also possible to re-deploy inverters in use on less critical equipment to mission critical applications without fear of incompatibly. CP Automation's brake chopper even finds applications in motion control drive solutions, where it is equally applicable due to the common DC bus.

A DC bus drive system configuration provides users with significant advantages including design flexibility, higher efficiency and inverter power sharing as well as cost savings. These are realised through reduced cabling and fewer components — such as resistors and thermal devices.

CP Automation routinely keeps extensive stocks of brake choppers in its warehouses, with the smallest unit being 11kW continuous, 33kW peak, and the largest being 100 kW continuous, 360kW peak and users can parallel up above this to create BC units greater than 1MW.

In the drives industry there is a genuine belief that all AC inverters are created equal. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that inverters are often bought as commodity items, much like control gear. But the reality is that, at least with regard to dynamic braking, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

When bigger means better

~ Business growth gets repair and replace specialist a new home ~

Euroserv, the sister company of supply and repair specialist CP Automation, has expanded its North East office to a 6,200 square feet facility on the Armstrong Industrial Estate in Washington, near Newcastle upon Tyne. The new premises will allow Euroserv to stock, test and repair a larger number and variety of industrial automation equipment.

Euroserv specialises in the repair and new sales of robotic, CNC, servo, electric, spindle and axis motors, braking resistors, pumps, drives, encoders, harmonic filters and more. The company works with clients of all sizes in the North East area, from one-man bands to international leaders, such as Nissan and Rolls-Royce.

“This expansion will allow us to tap into new markets,” explains Martin McGuffie, service manager of Euroserv. “Our new workshop and warehouse facilities will house testing solutions for bigger equipment and more complex projects. The move allows us to make full use of our industry experience and turns Euroserv into a one-stop shop for industry in the area.”

Euroserv’s workshop is fully equipped with test and repair facilities for all types of industrial electrical equipment. The company also has the ability to re-magnetise magnets, returning them to full strength, which helps manufacturers reduce maintenance costs.


“Euroserv and CP Automation are helping industry cope with increasing financial pressure, especially when it comes to minimising downtime and reducing operations and management budgets,” points out Tony Young, director at CP Automation. “Increasing the space we operate in and improving our testing facilities emphasises our commitment to helping our customers across all industrial sectors.”  

CPA launches new range of enclosures

CP Automation has today signed a new partnership with electro-mechanical expert DEM Manufacturing, to supply a leading range of Deltron heavy duty industrial enclosures. Suitable for use in harsh conditions, the new enclosures allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to use electrical equipment in various offshore and marine environments and other wet environments such as food and medical. 

Rated to a standard ingress protection of IP66 and a maximum of IP68, the range of heavy duty enclosures protect vital electronic equipment from a host of ingress types. They range from ingress by dust and high pressure jets of water to protection from complete, continuous immersion in water. Both IP66 and IP68 variants are certified to BS EN 60529:1992; IP66 for protection from jets of water and dust ingress and IP68 being fully submersible to 10m for 20 hours.

Made of LM24 die cast aluminium, the heavy duty enclosures are ideal for use in a variety of harsh conditions. These include deep water applications, such as marine as well as the renewable energy sector and offshore wind farms.

"This waterproof enclosure has all the benefits you would expect from a heavy duty component, whilst prioritising creative design and ease of installation," explained John Mitchell, CP Automation’s business development manager. "One of the key design features is protection against EMI and RFI," continued Mitchell.

"An excellent level of screening is achieved against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI) by enclosing the silicone seal well inside the box and ensuring a good contact between the lid and the base. In addition to this, integrated mounting holes allow the mounting bolts to be concealed within the enclosure. This results in the entire inside of the box remaining free for assembly."

The range of IP66 and IP68 heavy duty enclosures is available in plain, powder coated and nylon coated versions. All the enclosures are robust and lightweight, boasting a smooth finish with no sharp edges. Perfect for analytical, test and measurement equipment, the units are ideal for the water industry as well as for the security and lighting sectors.

All the enclosures include lid and seal as well as captive and earth screws in addition to PCB card guides and stand offs. The unit offers base plate and DIN rail mounting points and has a silicone seal rating of -60 to +200 degrees Celsius.

The powder coated version features a polyester powder coating, which is ideal for corrosion protection when facing continued outdoor UV-light and all-weather exposure. The hard finish on the powder coated unit offers superior toughness to conventional paint and is resistant to chipping, scratching and abrasions. This durable, high quality finish offers consistent surface colour and texture and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments.

For the harshest of environments, including the water industry, the nylon coated enclosure option is ideal. Water resistant and non-contaminating, the unit features improved chemical resistance to sea water, oil, grease, solvents and fuel. This high level of contaminant-resistance makes the unit hygienic for use in the food and medical industries.

The nylon coated unit backs up its mechanical strength with high abrasion, impact and damage protection. Its durable and corrosion resistance surface offers a hard, shiny and smooth finish with a low friction coefficient.

Dynamic brake chopper handles retrofit to any power rating and duty cycle

Following Pikatron's 2011 acquisition of TAE Antriebstechnik GmbH, CP Automation now stocks the company’s complete range of Brake Chopper Units (BCU). TAE Pikatron BCU’s provide an ideal retrofit solution for variable speed drives (VSDs) and inverters in a market where VSD manufacturers are increasingly reluctant to offer and stock add-ins to their core products. 

A key benefit of TAE Pikatron BCU’s is that they are rated at 100 percent duty of the VSD, which not all brake choppers are. Some cheaper units only provide duty as low as 30 percent. CP Automation holds in stock up to 100kW continuously rated or 360kW peak.

Using the TAE BCU’s, multiple drives on a system can all be connected to one brake chopper and resistor combination. Another benefit is that TAE Pikatron BCU’s are compact ‘fit-and-forget’ units with nothing to set up and configure. This is a strategy CP Automation has adopted with other products they specialise in including resistors, regenerative units, RFI filters and passive inductive components.

“Our product range is now very wide,” explains CP Automation business development specialist John Mitchell. “Unlike other solutions today, the TAE products don’t need multiple units configured in a master/slave design, using up valuable panel space. However, the units do have the option to be configured in master/slave mode for applications larger than 100Kw continuous.

CP Automation’s engineers help ensure each design is the most effective for the end-user application. No separate control voltage is necessary for the control board and emergency stop is possible even after a power failure because control is powered by the DC bus.

Variants of the TAE product include Fault output modules and options for 230VAC VSD’s and motion control systems, with a future range due to be released shortly for 600V AC VSDs.

The unit currently available can be used worldwide, with input bus voltage from 200-440V DC or 450-800V DC. It can also be set in the factory to switch at a pre-specified custom required voltage.

An external dynamic brake chopper can be connected to the positive and negative terminals of the DC bus of a variable speed drive (VSD), protected by ultra-fast fuses. The resistor terminals on the chopper are in turn connected to the brake resistor terminals.

The compact unit has operating, fault and standby indication using LEDs and exploits state-of-the-art insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). Featuring easy start up with no adjustment necessary, the rugged metal case provides the high levels of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance and is earth and short circuit protected. When the chopper is active, minimal voltage ripple appears on the DC bus.

Brake choppers for a 230VAC Inverter with 200-440V DC bus come in nine models, which will handle continuous power from 5.5kW to 41kW, peak power from 16kW to 185kW, continuous current from 15A to 110A, and peak current from 45A to 500A.


Brake choppers for a 380-460V AC inverter with 450-800V DC bus also come in nine models to handle continuous power from 11kW to 100kW, peak power from 33kW to 360kW, continuous current from 15A to 110A, and peak current from 45A to 500A.

Re SpA appoints CP Automation as sole UK distributor

Re SPA of Italy has appointed automation sales and service company CP Automation as its UK distributor. Re SPA has been designing and manufacturing automation equipment, principally for the converting, paper and cardboard, metal wire, rubber, plastic, textile and non-woven fabrics processing sectors since 1974.

Re SpA  manufactures a range of innovative industrial solutions including pneumatic brakes and clutches, calliper brakes, powder brakes, tension controllers, load cells, air expanding shafts and safety chucks, mechanical chucks, rotary unions, web guiding systems and web viewing systems.

Tony Young, director of CP Automation, said, “This appointment acknowledges our company’s expertise in the UK paper machinery converting market. The distributorship will be headed up by Paul Butterfield, our specialist of 20 years in this area.

“Re SpA’s equipment is used in a wide range of applications, wherever there is a reel to be unwound or rewound, or a laminate to be processed. Over the years, production processes, automation and the requirements of an increasingly demanding and quality-conscious market have created a series of applications for which we offer solutions.”

Consistent growth has enabled Re SPA to maintain a policy of investing in research and development, in order to offer a complete range of products. This means that it is capable of satisfying customer requirements at every stage of the laminate machining process. Collaboration with customers is a fundamental element in the process of designing innovative new products as well as solutions that can be adapted to individual customer needs.

A solid, well-organised company structure guarantees customer service throughout the working life of the product. Applications sectors include production and transformation of paper and cardboard, production of corrugated cardboard, and printing, coupling and cutting paper, cardboard and plastic films.

Production of adhesive labels, continuous forms and revenue stamps are also key sectors, as well as extrusion of plastic film for packaging, converting and packaging, production and transformation of fabrics, manufacturing and processing of nonwoven products, processing and transformation of laminates for furnishings, transformation of metal wire, processing sheet metal and aluminium sheets, and processing rubber.

Keen motorcyclist understands the customer’s ‘need for speed’ in manufacturing

Electrical supply, repair and field service provider CP Automation has appointed Paul Butterfield as sales manager for the company’s power transmission products.  The new recruit plans to put his expertise to good use providing solutions across industry, with the converting sector a particular focus.

Paul Butterfield

CP Automation is a specialist in the repair and replacement of automation equipment including electronic boards, PLCs, AC and DC drives. The company’s continued growth and increasing number of customers has created the need for this new appointment in the management team.

With almost thirty years experience in the electromechanical engineering sector, Butterfield started his career as an apprentice at William Lamb, a footwear manufacturer. He then progressed from apprentice engineer to a variety of sales roles within the industry.

In his new position at CP Automation, Butterfield hopes to introduce a range of gearboxes, motors and tension control devices for the converting industries, such as paper, film, foil and textiles.

“One challenge for us is to build long term relations with other European suppliers and thus increase the electromechanical portfolio of the company. Giving clients more options ultimately translates to a faster repair and maintenance service. There is always a need for speed in manufacturing,” concluded Butterfield.

Butterfield, a keen motorcyclist, is no stranger to speed; he enjoys riding his Honda FireBlade as often as the weather permits. When not flying through the scenery on his bike, Butterfield takes a more laid back approach and relaxes by hill walking in the countryside.

Lessons from Nan’s pantry – why labelling ‘jars’ could help manufacturers save millions, a letter to the editor

I fondly remember my Nan’s pantry as a highly organised place, filled with neatly stacked and labelled jars. I’m often reminded of this, when I visit manufacturers, in my role as a maintenance or inventory management specialist. However, it’s not always the high levels of organisation that make me reminisce; in fact it’s often the opposite.  

I’ve often turned up on site to help a customer with a breakdown, only to find a host of spares out of their antistatic packaging and a confused client, not knowing whether or not the parts are functional.
Good inventory management solves this problem and gives maintenance teams confidence when replacing faulty gear. It also increases their ability to resolve equipment failures and reduces unnecessary downtime whilst increasing production performance. However, manufacturers can eliminate excess inventory from their books, and thus get better return on net assets, by not purchasing the inventory until it’s needed. Methods of achieving this include Just in Time (JIT) inventory management, sometimes referred to as the Toyota Production System. Keeping its ‘pantry’ in order in this way could save UK manufacturing millions.


John Mitchell
Business development manager