Brother Gearmotors (of Brother International Corp.) offers sub-fractional AC gearmotors and reducers for industrial equipment manufacturers … including the food & beverage, packaging and material handling industries.

It has partnered with American Control Electronics (ACE) in an agreement that lets Brother Gearmotors offer ACE’s premium selection of Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) as a product add-on to its gearmotors portfolio.

A variable-frequency drive is a type of adjustable-speed drive used in electro-mechanical drive systems to control AC motor speed and torque by varying motor input frequency and voltage.  Providing benefits such as more precise operations control and reduced energy consumption, VFDs are particularly suitable for gearmotors included in machines typically found in a wide range of sectors including packing, materials handling, food processing and industrial applications. More after the jump.

A key benefit of variable frequency drives is improved speed control: VFDs allow for fine tuning the run speeds of applications that demand heightened control.  VFDs allow for the use of three-phase motors in locations where only single phase power is available. This is due to the drive taking in a single phase input and outputting 3 phase power.  Three-phase motors also enjoy advantages over single phase permanent split capacitor (PSC) motors, including higher starting torque and higher running efficiency.

Other benefits of the VFDs now offered through Brother Gearmotors include:

• Compact size
• Quick and easy setup; no programming
• Very competitively priced
• Same mounting envelope as DC Chassis mount drive
• Torque Limiting settings to protect mechanical components
• Torque Boost capability for hard-to-start loads
• Coast to stop or DC Injection Braking
• Increased production through tighter process control
• Extended equipment life, reduced maintenance needs

A division of Brother International Corp., Brother Gearmotors offers a wide range of high-quality, sub-fractional AC gearmotors and reducers in demanding industries such as food & beverage, packaging and material handling.  Brother Gearmotors is one of the world’s largest fine-pitch gear manufacturers and was designed in response to the industry’s demand for smaller, lighter more reliable and energy-efficient power transmission components.

Brother International Corporation, with its corporate headquarters located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, was established in 1954. Currently, Brother and its subsidiaries employ over 1,000 people in the Americas.

For more information on Brother Gearmotors, visit www.brother-usa.com/gearmotors.

American Control Electronics (ACE) is an electronics manufacturer located in South Beloit, IL that serves as parent company for the Minarik Drives brand. ACE designs and produces a wide variety of AC & DC electronic control systems and power products used in industrial, commercial, EV, medical, and home automation markets. American Control Electronics has also developed several “green” products that control motors from battery and/or photovoltaic power.

The Minarik Drives brand has a 60-year reputation and is the standard for products in its class. American Control Electronics designs unique product solutions to meet the specific needs of its customers. All products are designed and built in our U.S. facility, which is both ISO 9001:2008 registered and UL508A certified.  For more information, visit www.americancontrolelectronics.com.