What’s the difference between good and bad electrical design? Normally it is just bad planning that causes a design to end up bad, the use of the same old macro over and over again without any real thought of the application. At IRS we endeavour to always take a fresh look at each application and circuit. This does not mean that we don’t use standard macros to save time it’s just that each application is checked for suitability first.
When designing any system it is also important to choose the right component for the job. The lifecycle of the component is checked against the frequency of operation of the machine. For example a control relay operating a brake on a motor that operates 30 times per minute could be worn out and need replacing after 3 months. If a solid state relay was used this would not be an issue.
CAE System
As a standard we use Eplan to create our design drawings. This is our preferred CAE (computer aided engineering) package (AutoCAD is available on request, be it drawn in AutoCAD or exported to .DWG from Eplan). We use the Eplan software because of its in built intelligence and automatically generated functions. These include:
- Database driven (all pages in one file)
- Parts database
- Automatic parts list generation
- Automatic terminal rail design
- Automatic cable generation
- Automatic page to page cross reference between devices and wires.
Bus Systems
Bus systems make designing easy providing that the designer stays within the limit of the Bus systems capability. We have had many call outs from customers that have installed bus networks that are too large and the software issues they are experiencing are hardware issues caused by too many nodes or cable length.
At IRS we will consider using Bus systems but always check that it’s the most cost effective and suitable solution for the client first.
Inverters & Drives
When choosing an inverter for an application it is important to understand what is need from the drive in the application. For example if the application just calls for a conveyor to run at 2 speeds why complicate things by including a bus connection? It will cost more than a standard I/O interface as most companies charge an additional cost for a Bus card.
At IRS we will consider using Bus systems but always check that it’s the most cost effective and suitable solution for the client first.
If you would like more information about our any of our services, please call 0845 094 9846 or or fill in an enquiry form.