An electric motor starter is a device which acts to start, stop, reverse, and protect electric motors using two key components: the overload protection and the contractors.
Overload protection prevents a motor from drawing in excessive current and burning out, which the contactors control the current to the motor by closing and opening the circuit, i.e. literally ‘contacting’ and breaking contact.
Starting a motor without an electric motor starter to control the initial current only works with the weakest of motors, as the motion of the motor plays a critical role in determining the current it can safely manage. A motor starter allows a motor to accelerate to its proper operating speed before taking on the full load of the line.
Thus, any electric motor producing 1 Hp or more of power requires a motor starter, including those used in backup and alternative power source applications. Salient offers a variety of motor starters to meet the needs of your system.
Do you need a motor starter? Call Salient at (704) 596-5617!
Wye-Delta Open Transition
An electromechanical wye-delta starter is made up of contactors, an overload relay, an interlock, and a timer. The nature of the transition makes this suitable for larger electric motors with low sensitivity, so this type of starter is used for large air compressors and pumps.
Salient offers three different Wye-Delta Open Transition Starters:
- Main Lug Only. Feature no disconnect means; short circuit protection provided by the end user.
- Standard Interrupt Main Breaker. Features a breaker with a rating of 35 to 50kAIC at 480 Volts.
- High Interrupt Main Breaker. Features a breaker with a rating of 65k at 480 Volts.
These models can handle amp ranges from 269-1124 and horsepower from 150 to 800 (400+ Hp, refer to High Interrupt Main Breaker only).
Contact Salient for specifics or to inquire about custom solutions.
Soft Start Solid State
An alternative to Wye-Delta electromechanical starters which uses solid-state electronics to control voltage and offer transitionless starting. Solid state starters can be used in many of the same places you would use traditional electro-mechanical starters, but certain issues of torque must be accounted for in the transition.
All soft starters offered by Salient include SCRs, overload relays, and by-pass contactors. Models and specifications available include:
- Main Lug Only
- Standard Interrupt Main Breaker
- High Interrupt Main Breaker
These follow the same specifications as our Wye-Delta open transition starters for ratings, Hp, etc.
Wye-Delta Starter OEM Mounted on Sub-Panel
A convenient Wye-Delta starter mounted on a sub-panel for ease of installation and use. Features 120-volt coils, an overload relay, and an optional Wye-Delta timer for control systems lacking built-in timing solutions.
Variable Frequency Drive
An advanced solution for controlling frequency and voltage source dynamically to protect and control the speed of an AC induction motor. Valuable in applications requiring high precision and sensitivity, or in applications where energy savings or highly customized controls are a high priority. This allows a VFD to be used for gentle starts similar to a solid state starter.
Also used to control motor speeds precisely in applications such as industrial processing with grinders or mixers, or in complex systems where self-diagnostics and programming tools may play a critical role.
Contact Salient or call (704) 596-5617 for further details and options!