Product Description

EMX3 Advanced Soft Starter from AuCom

Soft Starters are maturing as more sophisticated units perform soft start and stop functions with greater control, more protection and detailed feedback.  The latest release from AuCom, the EMX3 soft starter is further proof that starters are a complete motor management system. The EMX3 introduces a new generation in soft start technology: XLR-8 Adaptive Acceleration Control. XLR-8 has an unprecedented level of control over motor’s acceleration and deceleration profiles. Using XLR-8, the soft starter learns the motor’s performance during start and stop, then adjusts control to optimise performance.

Easy to use

While soft starters are becoming increasing feature-rich, AuCom has taken steps to ensure that commissioning, operation and fault finding are still quick and easy. Quick setup mode gets machinery running in next to no time, and informative screens advise the operator on motor performance.

Compact size

EMX3 starters are amongst the smallest in their class, saving installation costs by minimising panel space requirements. The design of the EMX3 allows for multiple units to be mounted side by side, or in a bank of starters due to the flexibility in cabling options. Internally bypassed starters further reduce the overall size of your soft starter.

New control type

As technology improved, soft starters have used a variety of methods for the control of motor starting and stopping. Each type of control used a different primary control parameter. Initially Timed Voltage Ramp controlled voltage by influencing start current, start torque and acceleration; next Constant Current controlled current, Torque Control controls torque. But none of these types ever controlled acceleration itself. Now Adaptive Acceleration Control influences start current and start torque to control acceleration.

Adaptive Acceleration Control

Adaptive Acceleration Control measures the motor's operating characteristics throughout each start, and creates two reference points: motor characteristics at zero speed and motor characteristics at maximum efficiency.  Throughout each start and stop, the starter compares the motor's performance characteristics with these reference points and estimates the motor's speed as a series of values between zero and 100%. To program it the user need only select the profile that best matches the load type and the soft starter automatically ensures the smoothest possible acceleration for the load.

During each start, Adaptive Acceleration Control measures the motor's characteristics at zero speed and when the motor is operating at maximum efficiency.  In subsequent starts and stops, XLR-8 uses the motor's performance characteristics to estimate the present speed.

XLR-8 start and stop profiles

Depending on your application requirements you can now select between early, constant or late acceleration/deceleration, only available from AuCom. Adaptive Acceleration Control’s motor control algorithm defines three starting and stopping profiles, which relate motor speed to elapsed time. During a start or stop, the starter compares the estimated motor speed with the present point in the profile and adjusts its behaviour accordingly. If the estimated speed is lower than the profile, more power is applied to the motor. If the estimated speed is higher than the profile, less power is applied to the motor. 

Water transients solved

Gradual and shock free acceleration can benefit all motor applications, but many situations need a more precise control over acceleration and/or deceleration. Historically pumping can present a number of scenarios that require specialist attention to reduce transients such as water hammer. With Adaptive Acceleration Control the greater influence over start and stop profiles the soft starter introduces either an early, constant or late deceleration. This is best illustrated with a couple of examples.

In a scenario with high back pressure (such as high head), the soft starter can stop damaging shock waves caused by non-return valves. A late deceleration stop will have very slow control of motor deceleration of the flow/no flow transition followed by a rapid deceleration mitigating reversal of the pump.

When stopping a pump scenario with low head and a high flow rate, the fluid momentum creates a low pressure state behind the pump. The non-return valve is slammed shut and shock waves are sent out as low pressure state is equalised. By selecting a long uniform deceleration fluid momentum will naturally dissipate.

The EMX3 is a smart, dependable and easy to use soft starter. New design features make the EMX3 the perfect solution for quick set-up or more customised control.