APplication considerations - Replacing legacy motors

Like some of us, the paper industry has been around a long time. Unfortunately, so has a lot of the installed equipment! There have been some upgrades and improvements to machine design over the years - particularly in the areas of insulation and condition monitoring. However, the installed base has not necessarily kept pace - due in part to the reliability built into older machinery. Today´s facilities are under deeper scrutiny as system efficiency, machine reliability, and equipment condition monitoring improvements are becoming the norm as the industry tries to position itself for the next century. In today´s global economic climate, the number of potential sources for replacement equipment is large and diverse. The choices available to a mill´s purchasing and technical maintenance departments are myriad and often confusing. In an effort to help sort through some of the potential pitfalls associated with replacing aging infrastructure with modern machines, this paper will review equipment in the medium voltage (2300-7000 Vac) range. Electrical and mechanical considerations for both the manufacturer and the end user will be discussed.