Motors and Drives
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About us Whether you are a manufacturer, distributor, importer or end user of motors, or whether you are an original equipment manufacturer [OEM] of them, Advanced Energy is your source for product evaluation, selection, testing and verification. With more than 16 years of experience, we operate North America's only independent motor test lab accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program [NVLAP] [NVLAP Lab Code 200081-0]. NVLAP is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST]. Our tests are guaranteed at 0.20 percent repeatability. How we got to where we are today In 1989 Advanced Energy put its first dynamometer [dyno] into service and began to build what is now an extensive expertise in motor and drive technology. In 1991, under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], Advanced Energy published the first edition of the HorsePower Bulletin, which was updated most recently in 2006. At that time industry was beginning to recognize the important role motors have driving our work. Many estimates put the average electrical energy converted to mechanical work through motors at industrial sites to be around 70 percent of their total electric bill. The DOE estimates almost 25 percent of all electrical energy is delivered to motor driven systems. Paying closer attention and managing electric motors made sense then and it still does today. Advanced Energy continues to contribute to the growing body of knowledge that is Motor Management through grant supported research, trainings sessions for clients and by supporting the Motor Decisions Matter Campaign.
In 1992 Advanced Energy began working with DOE and the public to help develop the regulations setting minimum motor efficiency standards for three phase motors 1-200 hp under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act [EPCA]. Advanced Energy was instrumental in helping clarify the motor efficiency test procedure called out in this regulation [IEEE 112B] at that time. Our recommendations and our name were incorporated into the procedure and accepted. Today, we continue these efforts with smaller motors that are now under consideration for potential regulation by again offering our expertise as a lab to help improve the test method proposed [IEEE 114].
In 1997 Advanced Energy became the first motor lab in the world to achieve NVLAP [National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program] compliance for motor efficiency testing through the National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST]. We remain the only independent motor lab in North America to hold this accreditation which makes us uniquely qualified to help validate motors for motor manufacturers, OEMs, importers and distributors.
Between 1999 and 2001 Advanced Energy's Motors and Drives team worked with numerous motor manufacturers around the globe seeking compliance with EPCA, which became law in 1998. During that three-year window we were directly responsible for close to 80 percent of all compliance certificates issued to motor manufacturers for compliance with EPCA by the DOE. Today we continue to work with major motor manufacturers to keep their motor efficiency prediction models compliant on an annual basis.
In 2002 we began to look closer at motor reliability issues noting the importance end users place on productivity and uptime from their motor driven equipment. We built our first endurance test stand to put motors through loaded cycling tests. We expanded and refined our Motor Build Inspection Analysis [MBIA] to carefully compare construction techniques and materials used in the production of motors. Today our reliability testing has grown to two multi motor platforms capable of testing 30 motors at one time. OEMs, importers and motor distributors evaluating product find our lab to be the best for a complete independent analysis. If you put your name on or reputation behind a product we help you understand what it is you are selling and help you do it with great confidence. |
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