There are 3 common types of Inverter: 

• AC Inverter Drive – These types of inverter are known by many names such as Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), Variable Speed Drives (VSD) or Frequency Converters but for the sake of simplicity they are commonly referred to as AC Inverters.

  You will find AC Inverters in most motor control systems, situated between the AC motor and its power source. The AC Inverters job is to regulate the power going into the drive by generating a variable three phase frequency to effect a change in the speed of the motor. It achieves this by converting the incoming power supply into a DC voltage and then generating a three phase AC voltage from this DC supply. 

  The development of electronics since the manufacture of the first semiconductors has seen the speed and processing power increase enormously which has made it possible to, not only digitally synthesise the required AC frequency for any given speed of the motor but to also analyse the motor current and rotor position.

• DC Power Inverter – A Power Inverter is a device that functions similarly to an Electronic Oscillator converting a DC input to an AC output. The difference is that while Electrical Oscillators are designed for small, low-power equipment whereas Power Inverters are used specifically in situations where high currents and voltages are present.

  Unfortunately we do not currently stock any Power Inverters although we are able to get them on request from our friends at Ring Automotive.

• Solar Inverter – A Solar Inverter is a type of specialised Power Inverter that converts the DC output of a photovoltaic solar panel into an AC source. The AC output can then be used either by a domestic off-grid electrical network or fed into a commercial electrical grid. 

  Unfortunately at this time we do not sell any type of Solar Inverters.

Various 3ph AC Motor types (3 power supply wires + Earth) can be controlled by the type of inverter we supply, depending on the inverter model these types include:

• Induction Motor (IM) Standard AC motor, sometimes called a Squirrel cage motor (most popular)
• Permanent Magnet Motor (IPM/SPM)
• Synchronous Reluctance Motor (SynRM)

In most cases the inverter should be directly connected to the motor only.

Our inverters are NOT suitable for any single phase motor (2 power supply wires + Earth) including:

• Capacitor-Start or Capacitor Run Motor (motor type with external capacitors)
• Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC) Motor
• Shaded-Pole Motor
• Universal motor or any brushed motor

It may be possible to run a motor with two speed winding, sometimes called a Dahlander motor, from an appropriately voltage rated inverter however the motor would typically be set to one winding connection only.

Not all AC Inverters are the same so to make sure we quote you the correct Inverter for your needs we require several details from you. 

• What is your input supply?
• What is the rating of the motor? (there should be a plate on the side of the motor with the information on)
• Does the motor run in Star or Delta?
• What is the application?

Yes, we specialise in building tailored enclosures for whatever you need. Regardless of size or complexity. Our in house team of engineers are happy to help with any enquiries or queries regarding the design and production of our panels. For more information take a look at our X-Range Panels.

Yes “but”… 

For a 3ph motor to be able to run off a 230V 1ph supply it must be a dual voltage motor and require no more than 4kw of power. If your motor is not dual voltage or is larger than 4kw then it will not be able to run off a standard 230V 1ph.

Anything that is powered by a standard DC car battery can not be powered by an AC Inverter. You will instead require a DC Power Inverter.

There should be an installation guide supplied with all the AC Inverter products we sell, if for some reason the guide was missing we do have online copies of the installation guides available for download at the end of this page . If after following the steps in the guide the drive does not work we are able to offer over the phone technical support. To ensure the correct advice is given we will ask for your order number and may ask you to provide information on your power supply, motor rating and application, as well as any error codes you may have encountered. Please try to have that information to hand before calling.

All AC Inverters sold by us come with free over-the-phone technical support regardless of the age of the Inverter. If we are unable to fix the problem over the phone we are able to offer on site visits and repair services, although these services are not free. To ensure the correct advice is given we may ask for your order number and ask you to provide information on your power supply, motor rating and application, as well as any error codes you may have encountered. Please try to have that information to hand before calling.