ABB's Active Voltage Conditioner preserves supply voltage, reducing production losses
ABB’s PCS100 AVC-40 Active Voltage Conditioner is protecting a part of the production line at Nitto Glass Fiber Industries. Nitto is a leading producer of the glass fiber used for electronic materials, such as the printed circuit boards used in smartphones. The company was the first to industrialize glass fiber production in Japan and their quality is highly rated worldwide.
At the company’s production facility in Koriyama City, Fukushima, the line incorporates a variety of instrumentation equipment. Sensitive to short-time voltage fluctuations, voltage sags can cause production losses.
Voltage sags are common issues that occur in utility transmission and distribution networks. The sags are often caused by weather conditions, especially during lightning strikes. Protecting production equipment from these sags helps avoid unexpected production equipment stoppages, ensuring production schedules are met as planned and production losses are minimized.
The solution: ABB’s PCS100 AVC-40. Specifically configured for industrial and large commercial applications and built on a converter platform with proven reliability, the PCS100 AVC-40 provides instant voltage sag and surge correction. As it draws the necessary additional energy from the utility supply to generate the compensating voltage, the device does not require a battery. And, with no ongoing maintenance of the batteries, the cost of ownership can be lower.
Junichi Kano, Facility Management Manager, Nitto Glass Fiber Industrial Co, said: “Our production lines operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If a production loss occurs due to power supply problems, there will be a significant loss before we can recover normal production. That’s why we consider measures to protect the equipment.
“In terms of operation, the PCS100 AVC-40 was the right protection device for our facility’s equipment. We have had peace of mind after installing the system and are thankful for the sincere support received right from start of the project.”
Nitto currently has three AVC-40 units installed on the production line – 600 kVA, 450 kVA and 300 kVA devices. Production has been stable since their installation.
Takayuki Matsuyama, a section member at Nitto, said: “Since the AVC-40’s installation, the power supply is more stable, and we have also been able to reduce the periodic replacement costs of the UPS were using for backup.”
Nitto Glass Fiber Industrial is building an expanded production system for special glass and other high value-added products. To ensure more stable production, the company plans to install the same voltage conditioning equipment in all its production facilities.
