Siemens Smart Infrastructure announces the launch of the first fully electronic starter using semiconductor technology. The SIMATIC ET 200SP electronic starter provides short-circuit protection 1,000 times faster than conventional solutions such as circuit breakers or fuses, with virtually no losses, making it an optimal protection for motors and other types of loads and equipment. The electronic starter also features device-friendly Smart Start functionality and is fully integrated into the TIA Totally Integrated Automation environment. The compact design of the device, which can be used worldwide, not only takes up little space in the control cabinet, but is also easy to install.
In industries such as food and beverage, intralogistics, and mechanical engineering, energy-efficient motors are often used to drive critical equipment such as conveyor systems or pumps. Problems or failures in these equipment can cause considerable damage and losses. This shows the importance of motor starters, which not only start the motor smoothly but also provide overload and short-circuit protection.
SIMATIC ET 200SP electronic starters use semiconductor technology of silicon carbide metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (SiC MOSFETS) to achieve ultra-fast and lossless disconnection. The short-circuit protection devices of traditional feeder solutions have a slow response speed, which often requires the replacement of parts when a short circuit occurs. However, electronic starters can detect short-circuit currents very quickly and disconnect in less than 4 microseconds. This means that its response speed is nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional technology. Electronic starters can disconnect short-circuit faults without upper limits, and there is no need to replace parts after tripping, which improves equipment availability and significantly reduces spare parts storage costs.
High-efficiency motors (such as IE3 and IE4 energy efficiency classes) usually have high inrush currents, which may cause the protection device to trip unexpectedly. SIMATIC ET 200SP electronic starters have optimized phase switching control and Smart Start functions, which can neutralize inrush currents and significantly reduce starting currents, thereby reducing the load impact on the power grid when the motor starts. In addition, the high torque of the electronic starter during direct starting is optimized, which significantly reduces mechanical wear. This means less maintenance work is required, which is a dream come true for applications with high switching frequencies.
"Our fully electronic starter has many advantages over traditional electromechanical or hybrid motor starters. We maintained close communication with potential users during the development process. This is why it meets the needs of users and solves their real challenges. It makes demanding motors and applications more available, durable and user-friendly than ever before." Andreas Matthé, CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure Division Electrical Products, said, "Siemens is the first company to launch a fully electronic starter that can be fully integrated into ET 200SP and TIA Portal. The electronic starter specifically solves the two major challenges facing the industrial field - equipment prone to short circuits and inrush currents when starting high-efficiency motors."
Machinery manufacturers and system integrators can seamlessly integrate electronic starters into the market-leading Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) environment. No programming is required, and its standard diagnostic functions can perform detailed system diagnostics. With SIMATIC STEP 7 in the TIA Portal, unlimited data availability and engineering simplify project planning, parameterization and commissioning. Automatic reparameterization allows easy replacement of devices during operation (hot swapping).
Savings in raw materials, high energy efficiency and high durability combine to make the SIMATIC ET 200SP electronic starter a sustainable product that has successfully received the Siemens "EcoTech" label. In addition to being manufactured from recycled materials, the electronic starter also reduces energy consumption and enables lossless disconnection, which increases efficiency and service life.
The new starter will be presented to the public for the first time at the International Industrial Automation and Components (SPS) trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 12 to 14, 2024.
Electronic starters are often used in industrial applications where short circuits are prone to occur, such as in the food industry, where hygiene requirements are very strict. In the food industry, conveyor systems often have to be intensively cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner. The water jet can cause a short circuit in the cable with damaged insulation between the starter and the conveyor drive motor, which can lead to costly downtime. The new ET 200SP electronic starter can quickly detect short-circuit currents and disconnect them immediately, which can avoid possible damage caused by short-circuit currents. Once the cause of the short circuit is eliminated, the device can be restarted immediately, without the need to purchase or replace parts as usual after a short circuit occurs.