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Drives for Web Handling

Blogmaster: Clarence Klassen

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16

I Saw a Generator Flash

Posted by Clarence Klassen on April 16, 2012
I Saw a Generator Flash
This week while calmly investigating drive performance on a very old drive system, I saw it happen - a massive commutator flash on the dc generator feeding a drive motor for a web handling line. No one was hurt. The Motor-Generator (M-G) system is over 50 years old-but so am I. The motors and gener...

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Posted in: Safety, Maintenance
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27

Community Bike Shop

Posted by Clarence Klassen on March 27, 2012
Community Bike Shop
I spent a couple of pleasant hours in a community bike shop in my town this week. While there, I got some grease on my hands while replacing some worn parts on my bike. I got the help I needed, and it was a pleasure taking the crank apart with the proper tools. Quite different from sitting at a comp...

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Posted in: Maintenance
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12

Virtual Machines

Posted by Clarence Klassen on March 12, 2012
Virtual Machines
Many older drive systems rely on programming tools that will only run on older operating systems. The drive program may run only on an old DOS or Windows operating system. Newer operating systems on modern computers simply laugh when you try to install the drive program. One way of keeping these ol...

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Posted in: Maintenance, Design, Communications
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20

Remote Access

Posted by Clarence Klassen on February 20, 2012
Remote Access
Today most companies expect remote access troubleshooting from suppliers of drive systems. Remote access software over the internet and using Virtual Private Networks (VPN) or web based remote access provide very useful remote access. Technically remote access can be performed two ways. A custome...

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Posted in: Tuning, Maintenance, Design, Communications
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24

Wrong Calculated Diameter

Posted by Clarence Klassen on October 24, 2011
Wrong Calculated Diameter
I recently had a call about a winder shutting down due to oversized rolls. This only happened when orders for large rolls were run. The rolls were not actually oversized. The diameter calculator was calculating incorrectly. Before discussing the cause and cure for the incorrect diameter, I want to...

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Posted in: Diameter, Maintenance
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29

Slip

Posted by Clarence Klassen on August 29, 2011
Slip
An ancient rule in drives for web handling is “we assume no slip occurs”. Of course, any roller can lose traction when conditions are not perfect. Web can slip past a roller. Layers of web can slip past each other on a spindle winder. Slip may occur on a coater either before coating is a...

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Posted in: Tension Measurement and Control, Maintenance
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27

Load Cells and Roller Balancing

Posted by Clarence Klassen on June 27, 2011
Load Cells and Roller Balancing
All Rollers have a natural resonance. Mechanical designers like to balance the rollers so that they run smooth up to 120% of the rated line speed. Sounds great! The roller is then removed from the balancing machine and carefully mounted on load cells. The result of mounting the roller on springy lo...

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Posted in: Tension Measurement and Control, Tuning, Maintenance, Design
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30

Qualifications for a Drive Maintenance Tech

Posted by Clarence Klassen on May 30, 2011
Qualifications for a Drive Maintenance Tech
In general, we don’t need an engineer to maintain a drive system for web handling. For keeping the line running, we need an a very knowledgeable technologist or technician. That is because the drive system and associated equipment is about the most complicated equipment in the plant. Skills...

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Posted in: Maintenance
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21

DC Bus Over Voltage

Posted by Clarence Klassen on March 21, 2011
DC Bus Over Voltage
AC Drives are fed by  AC mains and produce an AC power output for the motor. Why then is “DC Bus Over Voltage” one of the most common faults on a drive system? It turns out that most of the Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) used in web handling convert AC mains to DC using a rectifie...

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Posted in: Drives, Faults, Maintenance
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27

Drive Training

Posted by Clarence Klassen on December 27, 2010
Drive Training
All drive vendors provide training for their product. This may be an informal meeting between the customer and the vendor product manager and application engineer. It may be in a more formal classroom or lab setting. In any case, we expect a demo unit with some hands on time. This training is very ...

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Posted in: Drives, Training, Maintenance
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Blogmaster

Clarence Klassen photo

Clarence Klassen

President. Designated Consulting Engineer with Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). KlassENgineering was incorporated in 1999. Clarence applies 31 years in the Pulp and Paper industry to solving problems with drives for web handling. He has 10 years experience as a drives engineer with GE Canada and 10 years experience with Opcode Systems Inc., a PLC and Drives Systems Integrator. Much of Clarence's experience was gained in onsite installation of new equipment and troubleshooting of existing equipment. KlassENgineering performs Pre-Start Health and Safety Reviews as required by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.