Intelligent Motor Control Centers

INTRODUCTION

Today’s Industry demands more from its equipment to meet the needs of the
Competitive environment. Electronics have changed the way things are done and
no part of our lives is excluded from the use of Microprocessors to make things
more efficient.

Lately, interest in the Intelligent Motor Control Centers (IMCCs) has increased
significantly. “Intelligence is the ability to use & share Information Globally so
as to continuously ensure desired control and Motor protection cost effectively”.

Intelligent MCCs represents a New and Functional approach to the switchgear

architecture, utilizing new technologies without the limitation of the conventional
components.

To elaborate, we present this White Paper

MOTOR CONTROL CENTER EVOLUTION

Motor Control originally had independent Starters located & operated near the
Motors. The need to have centralized Control, Monitoring and Maintenance
created the concept of Motor Control Center. The role of MCC, was and is, to
provide a Compact, Modular, Centralized factory Built and cost effective Control.
The Basic devices of MCC include a Power Switching, Short Circuit & Overload
Protection, actuation and device status indication.

MCCs grew as a concept in 1970s because it offered many advantage over the
separate Starters located near the Motors.

• Less Power Distribution on line side.

• Cost effective.
• Single Source – Pre-assembled and Factory Tested.
• Space Saving.
• Excellent fault containment.
• Centralized operation and maintenance.
• Remote Control with interlock.

Even today these original demands remain but business environment want more
out of the equipment to manage the total factory more economically with
preventive approach rather than post event related and less dependent on
manpower.

Hence the need to pack the MCC with more Intelligence to satisfy the
Management needs of today and tomorrow.

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Motor Control Center evolution has been limited. Originally Control was based
on Relay Logic until the PLCs arrived. The development and use of PLCs with
MCCs has shifted the complex circuits from Hardwiring to Software within the
Processor. The I/O modules are generally kept in a separate I/O Panel after
using a marshalling Panel. This segregates Electrical & Instrumentation
department responsibility.

An end user or his consultants generally decide the MCC Feeder ratings,
equipment / component supplier, fault level and other specific design features
relevant to the application. An intelligent MCCs can be designed using these
preferences but at the same time, embrace the new technology using new
intelligent components.

These new technologies and components offer at the minimum

1. Intelligent devices with live performance Data
2. Better Control and Protection with Communication
3. Point level Diagnostics for Digital & Analog values
4. Open Network Connectivity at Device level
5. Pro-active and Predictive maintenance capability
6. Fewer inventories
7. Common Operator Panel on MCC instead of discrete Lamp & Push Button

TOMMOROW’S EXPECTATION

Industry has realized and sensed that better utilization and management of their
Assets will improve their bottom line. In the best of plants worldwide, Enterprise
Asset Management System has become a critical component of their on going
battle of optimizing maintenance and operation cost.

Consider the following findings:

• “The single largest controllable expenditure in a plant is maintenance.”

• “In many plants maintenance budget exceeds annual net profit”.
• “Industrial maintenance averages 14 per cent of the cost of goods sold in
many industries.”
• “An estimated one-third of maintenance budget is wasted due to improper
or unnecessary practices.”
• One major U.S. automotive manufacturer has a maintenance staff of
between 15,000 and 18,000, all plants combined. They say, “85 per cent
to 90 per cent is crisis work” (breakdown).

Simple, but chilling statistics!!

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In a highly productivity oriented manufacturing setup, keeping the equipment
running is the only thing that matters. As companies explore and seek to remedy
high cost areas such as productivity optimization, automation and supply Chain
management, maintenance is considered the next big frontier to cost saving.

In the Electrical arena, Motors account for about 80% the Electrical load as
prime-movers. Intelligent MCC, with the technology available today, can offer an
excellent Engineered solution to achieve Preventive, Predictive and Proactive
maintenance by managing root cause of breakdown and extending the life cycle
of the equipment.

With this a realization, a well-designed and integrated Intelligent MCC should

include the following capability.

1. Individual equipment should be equipped with a device capable to Control,

Protect and provide relevant Data via a Communication Port.
2. A Device level Network able to transfer Data-periodically, conditionally or on
request, to a Central Processing Unit.
3. An extremely reliable Open Network with Diagnostic available on-line, to
advise failure and status of individual point and node. On-line replacement of
nodes / modules should be possible.
4. Network interface to pass the Data of all the connected Devices to different
Networks or CPUs.
5. A Central Processor Unit either mounted locally on Intelligent MCC to form a
part of Distributed Control or connected on the Network to a Central Plant
DCS and MMI Control Station.
6. A MMI Operator Station dedicated to connect the related Intelligent MCCs,
Control Desks, and Push Button Stations.

Central Work Station(s) common for complete Plant should offer as a

minimum:

• Overview of the Power System.

• Front view of each Intelligent MCC with status of each feeder.
• Individual feeder Data available by a click on Compartment or SLD symbol.
• Capability to record Data to give trends and historical performance data of
individual feeders.
• Capability of automatic event based generation of message or reports to Key
Personal on email, Phone, Pager, Audio System, Mobile etc.
• Maintenance Planning & Scheduling.
• Bill of Material, Component specification, Vendor & Commercial information.
• AutoCAD Drawing of all Feeders.
• Important Product User Manuals & Technical information On-line.
• Capability of MIS Reports for Operation, Costing, Maintenance etc.

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 • Connectivity with Enterprise Resource Management System (e.g. SAP,
BAAN).

POWERGEAR INTELLIGENT MCCs

• Engineered MCC CPRI tested with over two decades of experience.

• World renowned Intelligent devices to Monitor, Protect & Communicate.
• Open Local Network to connect devices – “DeviceNet”
• CPU Control, Programmable logic if desired, to have distributed Control
with Communication link to upstream hierarchy – of Different Makes /
Networks.
• In case it’s a part of centralized Control, fast Communication link-up with
Centralized CPU.
• A Graphic Operator Terminal to be able to Monitor and Control and give
Alarm & Event Summary, Help Screen, Event recording etc.

POWERGEAR AND PIMA CONTROLS are companies of the same group and
management. POWERGEAR since 1975 is an established name manufacturing
Custom-built equipment covering a range of LT and MV Motor Controls. PIMA
CONTROLS PVT.LTD., incorporated in 1985, is a reputed company offering
Automation solutions in all sectors of industries. Pima Controls Pvt. Ltd. offers
engineering solution with their partner agreements for products and technical
support of MNCs like Rockwell Automation (Allen Bradley), Prosoft, and DVT etc.
Combining these Engineering strengths and Technological products, Powergear
offers an Intelligent Motor Control Centers packed with all feature listed in this
Paper and many more, Custom-built for your needs and imagination.

POWERGEAR also undertakes study and offers to upgrade existing MCCs

installation to a level that can achieve a System as described herein so as to
save your investments and get use today’s technology for Motor Control & its
monitoring.

Madhukar Parikh
Author

Please contact for more details to:

POWERGEAR
Division of Pima Controls Pvt. Ltd.
A4-New York Corner, Bodakdev,
Ahmedabad–380015, INDIA
Phone No.: +91-79-2687 2201 / 2 / 3

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Fax No.: +91-79-2687 1126
E-Mail: info@pimacontrols.com

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