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19 March, 2024

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Blogs & Opinions » Back to Basics

EPDs: what you need to know

29 January, 2024

If you haven’t heard about Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) already, you’re certainly going to be hearing a lot more about them in the coming months and years. ABB’s Martin Richardson explains what they are and why they matter.


Have you done a winter health check?

01 January, 2024

With temperatures plummeting, Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s UK product manager for LV drives, explains how you can make sure your drives are in the right condition to survive the colder months.


Key considerations when installing drives in panels

01 December, 2023

Users increasingly want their control panels to be as small as possible. But there are limits to how small an enclosure can be before it starts to compromise component performance and reliability. Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s UK product manager for LV drives, explains what to consider when designing control panels.


Defence against the dark arts

01 October, 2023

If your facility suffers from flickering lights and overheating cables, the cause could be ghosts – but is more likely to be harmonics. ABB’s George Dodwell explores why harmonics are such a problem, and how drives can be used to solve them.


What else could your drive be doing for you?

01 September, 2023

For applications that require basic logic programming, but where a PLC might be overkill, a drive’s adaptive programming function can provide the answer, as Liam Blackshaw, UK product manager for ABB LV Drives, explains.


Liquid-cooled drives: How they work and where to use them

01 August, 2023

Most drives are air-cooled, but liquid-cooled variants can provide greater power densities in smaller spaces for some applications, as Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s UK product manager for LV drives, explains.


Turning waste energy into useful energy

01 June, 2023

Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s product manager for LV drives in the UK, explores how modern drives can use regenerative braking to capture wasted energy and feed it back into the network, improving efficiency and reducing the amount of additional cabinet equipment required.


Preventing pump cavitation the easy way

01 May, 2023

Clayton Mead, water industry manager for ABB Motion in the UK, explains how to prevent damage and extend the lifespan of pumps by using in-built drive functions to detect and control cavitation.


Three things to remember about VSD cybersecurity

01 April, 2023

Drives, like computers, can be vulnerable to cyber-attack if appropriate protections are not put in place. Michael Roebuck, ABB’s digital lead for motion, provides some practical tips on how to improve VSD cybersecurity.


Which is more sustainable: EC fans or VSDs?

01 March, 2023

For AHU applications, particularly in facilities such as data centres, electronically commuted fans are held up as an efficient, sustainable method of powering cooling fans. However, efficiency is not the only factor to consider, as Carl Turbitt, ABB’s UK HVAC drives sales manager, explains.


Which motor control method should you use?

01 February, 2023

Intro: Modern variable-speed drives (VSDs) allow users to implement a choice of different control philosophies. Liam Blackshaw, ABB’s UK product manager for LV drives, explores some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.


Three rules for installing refrigerator compressors

20 December, 2022

Almost all food and beverage plants need cooling and refrigeration at some point in the process, whether for raw ingredients or finished products. George Dodwell, ABB area sales manager for drives, explains what to consider when installing VSDs for refrigeration applications.


How to choose between MV and LV drives

14 November, 2022

Medium-voltage drives are thought to be more costly and complex than low-voltage drives, and better suited to higher power applications. But, as Alberto Ricci, ABB’s system drives sales manager, explains, modern MV drives are less daunting, more versatile, and can be more cost-effective than LV equivalents.


How PID can cut energy usage in HVAC applications

01 October, 2022

External PID controllers and PLCs can be expensive or complex to install and operate. Oliver Woolley, ABB’s key account manager for HVAC, explains how a drive’s integrated PID function can help to save energy in HVAC applications.


How a fireman’s override can help to save lives

01 September, 2022

The heatwaves over the summer were a sober reminder of the risks of fires in buildings. In the event of a fire, modern VSDs can be configured to help clear smoke, keep fire exits clear and preserve life, as Oliver Woolley, ABB’s key account manager for HVAC, explains.


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