Can a shorting contactor be used with an Altivar drive, when the drive reaches full speed?

Search FAQs

You are currently viewing the content available in Vietnam. If you are looking for information for another region, please select the correct country from the top-left dropdown in the page and 'Navigate to Browse FAQs' in the Support menu.

Issue:
Using a shorting contactor on an Altivar drive, at full speed

Product Line:
All Altivar drives and Soft Starters

Environment:
All models and serial numbers

Cause:
Customer wants to use a shorting contactor to run the motor once the drive reaches full speed, basically using a drive as a Soft Starter

Resolution:
A shorting contactor cannot be used to bypass the drive like a Soft Starter. This would damage the IGBT's because the drive output is a PWM waveform.
Drives are meant to stay connected to and control the speed of a motor the entire time the motor is running.
Soft Starters can be used to ramp up a motor to full speed and then drop out to a shorting contactor.