At this year’s virtual Hannover Fair, Schneider Electric has unveiled a new generation of its TeSys Giga motor starters which, it claims, are 40% smaller, up to 90% more reliable, and include many built-in diagnostics functions. The modular starters, which are protected by 56 patents, are said to reduce engineering time and complexity, cut maintenance costs and downtime, and to result in a simpler, safer customer experience.

Predictive maintenance can be implemented using contact wear diagnostics and the detection of coil over- or under-voltages. A “unique” calculation method is said to result in more precise status evaluation, cutting downtime. There are indicators for tip wear, internal faults, and contactor open or closed status.

The other main characteristics of the starters include:
• a modular design that simplifies spare parts replacement, improves reliability and robustness by up to 90%, and can halve integration and commissioning times;
• a compact footprint that is 40% smaller, allowing cabinet space to be optimised;
• protection against overloads, ground faults and phase imbalances;
• QR codes for delivering technical documents, video guides and counterfeit safeguards; and
• improved auxiliary contacts (17V, 1mA, 10-8) for better reliability in harsh environments and high-density PLC input applications.

“In today’s rapidly changing world, it is important to equip the industry with full control over the safety and reliability of mission-critical operations, with the ability to detect and resolve faults at pace,” says Schneider Electric’s executive vice-president for power products, Nadege Petit. “We are delighted that machine-builders and panel-builders can now maximise efficiency with faster machine integration, and system integrators can enjoy a more solution-oriented service.”

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