Low voltage (LV) AC motors are vital to manufacturing plants, but despite protective measures, they often fail without warning, leading to significant downtime and production losses.
The motors are typically powered by conventional motor control centers (MCCs) or variable frequency drives (VFDs), with protection systems that vary from basic thermal overload relays, MPCBs to advanced microprocessor-based protection.
Despite the availability of these protective measures, motors fail or burn without any early warning or alarm. While the cost of motors is relatively low and replacing a motor is seen as a quick solution. Considering the broader impact, including intangible costs, downtime, production losses, resource utilisation and safety risks, the consequences of motor failure are significant.