AB PowerFlex Drives

[PhilBernardin4932]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has ever inserted Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives into AutoCAD electrical drawings. There are no PowerFlex drives available in the components libraries. Do designers typically just do miscellaneous blocks for these VFD's?

Does anybody have any sample drawings, or know of any sample drawings that are out there?

Phil Edited by: PhilBernardin4932 on Sep 29, 2008 1:15 AM

[Anonymous]

Autodesk cannot predict every VFD we might use and
create symbols that would suit our needs.  It would be a shot in the dark
on their part to create a symbol for these that would match the way we might
want it to appear.  For the most part CAD programs of this sort include the
standard symbols for switchgear, relays, sensors, solenoids, etc.  More
complex symbols are created by the users on an as-needed basis.  I have a
PowerFlex symbol but I am not at liberty to give it out to public domain. 
Mine is made to match IEC style drawings so the power enters on the top and the
motor connects to the bottom.  The symbol is rectangular and includes the
other connections for communications, safety, etc. as well.  Just create a
rectangle and use the Symbol Builder wizard to add the appropriate
attributes and wire connections.  If you want to document dip switch
settings, I add additional rating attributes and use those to display dip switch
settings ON and OFF.

style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">

<PhilBernardin4932> wrote in message
href="news:6040375@discussion.autodesk.com">news:6040375@discussion.autodesk.com...

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has ever inserted Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives
into AutoCAD electrical drawings. There are no PowerFlex drives available in
the components libraries. Do designers typically just do miscellaneous blocks
for these VFD's? Does anybody have any sample drawings, or know of any sample
drawings that are out there? Phil Edited by: PhilBernardin4932 on Sep 29, 2008
1:15 AM

[richzebell1452]

I have copied a microstation drive symbol (Emerson) from our existing microstation and entered as block in ACADE, then added atribute as needed.
this seemed to work ok.


ACADE is a new system we are incorporating here, and many of our existing symbols are not in the ACADE package exactly.
Is creating new symblos through symbol builder the best way to go if certain vendor database downloads are not available?

thanks Rich

[PhilBernardin4932]

Thanks for your feedback, Doug.

In this day and age, you would think that there would be a larger library of components included in AutoCAD Electrical. Everyone is starting to move away from contactors/starters and going to devices like soft-starts, variable frequency drives, and servo drives for control systems. It would be good if Autodesk were to keep updating their components to reflect this change in direction of control system manufacturers. Specifically regarding VFD's: whether it's Toshiba, Mitsubishi, AB, TB-Woods, or Altivar's, VFD's are pretty much all the same. Sincerely, Phil

[Anonymous]

Phil I guess the issue might be the fact that
everyone has their own style.  I know that in my travels as an instructor I
can visit 100 companies and see 90+ different schematic styles in America. 
Now Europe is another story.  They stick closer to the IEC.  You can
change jobs and move to a different country within Europe and the schematics
will look very much the same.  It would be much easier for Autodesk if they
could spend their valuable time developing symbols that fit one global standard,
rather than having to develop code that allows for so much diversity as the
American market demands.  I have seen this from both sides, having worked
for a German company for 12 years as an American.

style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">

<PhilBernardin4932> wrote in message
href="news:6040640@discussion.autodesk.com">news:6040640@discussion.autodesk.com...

Thanks
for your feedback, Doug. In this day and age, you would think that there would
be a larger library of components included in AutoCAD Electrical. Everyone is
starting to move away from contactors/starters and going to devices like
soft-starts, variable frequency drives, and servo drives for control systems.
It would be good if Autodesk were to keep updating their components to reflect
this change in direction of control system manufacturers. Specifically
regarding VFD's: whether it's Toshiba, Mitsubishi, AB, TB-Woods, or Altivar's,
VFD's are pretty much all the same. Sincerely, Phil