Panel
The motor control centers/panels are generally used for 3 phase low voltage AC current motors ranging from 230 to 600 volts. The main purpose of motor control centers is housing, powering and controlling motors in factories and industries.
The motors in a motor control center are controlled and operated through a device named motor controller. Motor controller provides manual and automatic means for performing various operations like stopping the motor, selecting forward or reverse rotation, regulating the torque and so as. The motor controller also protects the motors housed in a motor control center against overloads and faults.
Salient Features
The common features of motor control panels include:
- MCC includes good quality panel accessories for greater longevity.
- Provided with powder coated sheet enclosures.
- Flexibility of adding or removing motor controllers as per requirement
- More safety due to compartmentalized layout
- High fire-resistance rating
- Sophisticated design
- Easy maintenance
Majority of MCCs gets its power supply from a main switchgear. The switchgear on the other hand, obtains its power supply from a transformer, which is connected to the incoming line from the power grid.
Commonly, an MCC cabinet is an enclosure provided with a number of small doors arranged in rows and columns along the front and flat edges. In most cases, these doors have featureless back and sides. On the back side of each door, there is a unit called a bucket. The bucket connects the electrical devices inside to the electrical bus bars situated behind it. An MCC having only one column of buckets is called a single-section MCC.
Uses & Applications
There are several industrial applications of Motor Control Centers. Some of the common uses are in:
- Water pumps
- Heavy machineries
- Industrial equipments
- Commercial applications
- Medical & office equipments
- Automotive industry
- Processing units
- Electronics and Telecommunications
- Domestic applications
