Electrical protection design for a motion control system of 40 servos across 8 arms

Industrial Automation
1

I have a motion control process composing of 40 servos, 40 drives, divided between 8 arms (5 per arm). I used one circuit breaker for at the 3 phase, and used 1 circuit breaker per arm is this standard?

2

Common and sensible design for motion control systems is to use 1 primary circuit breaker for the 3-phase supply & separate circuit breakers for every arm (5 servos each).

Whether it satisfies criteria, nevertheless, will depend on things like equipment ratings, fault current levels, and relevant standards (such as manufacturer guidelines or NEC, IEC).

The detail description for the above question is explained below:

Primary Circuit Breaker

Primary Circuit Breaker are utilized to protect the main three-phase power source and need to be sized considering the total Full Load Current (FLC) of all 40+ drives an inrush current allowance. It is required suitable interrupting capability for the given short-circuit current.

Branch Circuit Breakers

Branch Circuit Breakers per Arm are providing the breaker is rated for total load and inrush currents, using one breaker per arm - for 5 servos - is reasonable. It also helps in fault isolation and small downtime during maintenance.

Manufacturer Guidelines for Servo Driven Equipment

Particularly for high inrush current condition, find recommended circuit protection devices in the datasheets. They follow Standard & Regulations for different counties.

  • NEC 430 for motor circuits (USA).
  • IEC 60204-1 for electrical equipment and machine safety worldwide.
  • UL 508A for Industrial control panel.

Notes:

  • Add overload protection for every motor drive - usually included into modern drives.
  • If motors have almost varied operational identities (or) starting characteristics, utilize fuses or individual breakers.
  • Verify selective coordination to make sure a malfunction in one arm doesn’t unnecessarily trip the primary circuit breaker.

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