Motor Control - Schneider Electric
Centro carries a complete selection of motor control products available to purchase online. Industrial motor controllers are devices that regulate the speed and torque of an electric motor. VFDs control the speed of an AC induction motor's speed by varying the power supply frequency. DC drives do the same thing but for DC motors. On the other hand, soft starters gradually ramp the voltage to an electric motor to avoid mechanical stress and electrical damage that can occur when starting a motor from a dead stop. Industrial motor controllers are used in various applications where precise control of an electric motor is required, such as in pumps, fans, compressors, conveyors, and machine tools. Motor control products carried by Centro include contactors, variable frequency drives, DC drives, and soft starters. These products are available in various sizes and configurations to suit any application. Whether you need a simple contactor for a small motor or a complex multi-drive system for an extensive industrial process, Centro has the products you need to get the job done. Please browse our website to learn more.
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- A contactor is an electrically operated switch that opens and closes the power circuit to a motor. A motor starter is a contactor combined with an overload relay — the contactor handles switching while the overload relay monitors current and trips the circuit if the motor draws excessive current for a sustained period. A contactor alone provides no overload protection; pairing it with an overload relay creates a complete motor starter. For any motor application where protection against overheating and overload is required — which is nearly all of them — a full motor starter is the correct specification, not a bare contactor.
- A variable frequency drive controls motor speed by varying the frequency and voltage supplied to the motor. This allows precise speed adjustment throughout the operating cycle rather than simply switching the motor on and off at full speed. VFDs are the right choice when the process requires variable speed — conveyors, pumps, fans, compressors — or when energy savings are a priority, since reducing fan or pump speed even modestly cuts power consumption dramatically due to the cubic relationship between speed and power. They also provide smooth acceleration, reducing mechanical stress on couplings, belts, and driven equipment at startup.
- An overload relay protects a motor from damage caused by sustained overcurrent — the kind that occurs when a motor is overloaded, stalls, or loses a phase. It monitors motor current continuously and trips the circuit if current exceeds the motor's full-load rating for longer than the relay's time-delay allows. Without overload protection, a motor running in an overloaded condition will overheat, degrading winding insulation and eventually burning out the motor. Overload relays are available in thermal and electronic versions — electronic types offer more precise protection, adjustable trip classes, and diagnostic feedback, making them the preferred choice for critical or variable-load applications.