I started my search by checking out Wikipedia. I then looked up and read a number of things to come up with my very own simplified explanation. Disclaimer: I am in no way an engineer! This topic gets pretty deep, pretty fast. I'll do my best to keep it basic.

Vector control drives basically control 3-phase AC electric motor output by using two variables; voltage magnitude and frequency. We'll go just a little bit deeper to explain that vector control is available as field oriented control (FOC) or sensorless.

Most variable frequency drives used are Volts/Hertz, which means they provide open-loop operation. These drives are unable to retrieve feedback from the process, but can generally do the job for most applications. If these drives are not accurate enough then you want to take a look at vector control.

In general, if your application requires higher levels of accuracy, vector may be the way to go. These high performance AC drives can adjust themselves to sustain the programmed speed, rate, torque, and/or position.

Marshall Wolf Automation is a variably frequency drive powerhouse! We have a large inventory ready to ship, competitive pricing and we are authorized for all the top brands. Did I mention complimentary tech support?

View all of our AC drives now!

Marshall Wolf Automation has reached $1 million dollar in sales for Lenze AC Tech's fiscal year.

Lenze AC Tech is a key product line for Marshall Wolf Automation and we are very excited to announce this milestone

Marshall Wolf Automation is your authorized stocking distributor for AC Tech variable frequency drives. Our inside sales and technical support staff can quickly assist you in finding the best high performance AC drive for your application.

Thank you to all of our customers that helped us reach this goal!

This topic is new to me as I have not had much experience with DC link chokes. My recent time spent categorizing inventory has changed that!

Reactors for variable frequency drives are sold as either AC reactors or DC reactors. Guess what another name for DC reactors is? You guessed it... DC link chokes.

A reactors job is to smooth the current flow to the drive and reduce harmonics. The difference between an AC line reactor and DC link choke includes the following:

• AC reactors are in series with the incoming AC power line. DC link chokes are connected after the input diodes in the power circuit. 
• You can use both of these in an application and achieve 6% impedance.
• AC reactors are about 1.5 times the price of a DC link choke

Interested in finding out which (or both) would be best for your specific application? We have in-house engineers ready and waiting!

Marshall Wolf Automation is your authorized industrial automation distributor for MTE, Hammond Power Solutions and TCI line reactors and DC link chokes.

Sometimes we receive calls with older AC Tech variable frequency drives that might be replaced, but the end user has no idea of the age of the unit. 

This could occur for a variety of reasons; they didn't purchase it, it came installed on an OEM piece of equiment or was existing in the factory.  As a distributor, we don't always have access to all of the manufacturers internal documentation, but here we can now break down the important parts of the serial number to identify the month and year of manufacture.  It's very helpful, especially when trying to figure out if a drive is still under warranty. 

So let's look at the following example:

The following is from an AC Tech unit serial plate:  R14880903   What do we need to glean from this number?  We only care to look at the last four (4) digits, in this case (0903) 

The first two digits (09) signify the year of manufacture ( 2009 ), the last two digits ( 03 ) signify the week of 2009 that it was manufactured, i.e. the 3rd week of 2009. In this case, the drive was manufactured the 3rd week (January) of 2009. 

This coding applies to all AC Tech Drives, if you have a need for a Lenze AC Tech replacement or new application, please don't hesitate to contact us.  We can help size your application after some technical query. 

Check us out on the web at www.wolfautomation.com or contact us at 847-658-8130 or email us at sales@wolfautomation.com.  Wolf Automation is your authorized AC TECH LENZE drive distributor.  We are one of the top AC TECH LENZE AC VFD distributors in North America.   Contact us today, we can help!

We have been spending some time recategorizing our inventory. This sounds simple, however, it is anything but!

It's amazing the number of products that we all use multiple names for. AC drives are called variable frequency drives, inverters, motor speed controllers and many other names.

Stack lights are light towers are tower lights are warning lights.

How does one categorize wire, wire duct, terminal blocks, DIN rail and the many accessories these items use? I've seen 'wiring solutions' as a nice category and I've also seen every product separated out individually.

I consider a heater... a heater. An electric heater. Apparently it's common for some to call an overload relay a heater... who knew?

Servo motors - under motors or in a motion control category? Gearmotors, are they motors or should they have their own category?

How vague can we make switches? Should it include pushbuttons, e-stops and pressure switches? Would you think to look under 'switch' for a pushbutton?

Relays is another crazy one. Should mercury relays be lumped in with solid state relays? What about SmartRelays? I ended up putting those with PLC's (which brings me to the insane category of controllers...).

This concludes my mini-rant regarding product categories... thanks for reading! Your feedback is always appreciated - beckie@wolfautomation.com.

Their most technically advanced inverter drive continues AC Tech Lenze's tradition of innovative compact inverter design.

The performance and flexibility make the SMVector an attractive solution for a broad range of AC Motor applications including:

Food Processing machinery
Packaging machinery
Material handling systems
Conveying Systems
HVAC systems

The SMVector Series can be used with 3-phase AC induction motors rated from 1/3 HP up to 30HP (0.25 - 22 kW) on voltages from 120V single-phase to 600 V three-phase.  Programmable digital and analog I/O allow the drive to be configured for many application specific tasks such as multiple preset speeds, electronic braking and motor jogging to name a few.  Like all AC Tech sub-micro drives, the SMVector uses EPM memory technology for fast and efficient programming.

Available in both NEMA 1 and NEMA 4 and 4X verions!  Contact Marshall Wolf Automation today for all of your variable frequency drive needs!

A leading global manufacturer of electrical and mechanical drives, motion control and automation technology, AC Tech Lenze offers the 8400 Inverter Series. The 8400 series features L-Force automation technology for tailored motion control solutions that deliver stable and high dynamic performance in a range of material handling and logistics applications.

The 8400 product family runs the gamut from basic inverter to ‘servo’ inverter. From simple continuous motion applications, like driving a conveyor, to controlling complex synchronized pick-and-place applications, there is an 8400 inverter right-sized for the job.  Matched with high efficiency Lenze motors, gearboxes and brakes, the 8400 series steers the whole drive package.

Most mechanical processes have variable power requirements that depend on external parameters, such as the production volume. A frequency inverter matches the speed and torque with the process requirements. In addition to L-Force control and software, the 8400 series inverters incorporate intelligent features, including memory modules, online diagnostics and optional integrated safety systems.

Marshall Wolf Automation is the place to shop for all of your AC Tech needs. 

Variable frequency inverters are used for electronic speed control of AC induction motors. The needs of the market are wide and varied, and AC Tech Lenze offers a broad range of standard products for everything from simple speed control to complex; each with a wide range of functionality, small physical size and exceptional performance.

Their drives are reliable, flexible to apply, easy to commission, and meet the highest standards of quality. AC Tech Lenze provides solutions to fulfill nearly any inverter requirement in the power range between 0.25 and 400 kW.

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