Motor

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Basic Electric Motor Terms:

• Horsepower: Determined by the equipment requirements, total load, operating conditions, and speed.
• Voltage: The voltage of a motor is determined by the supply to which it is attached. The common voltages are 115, 200, 208, 230, 460, 575.
• Phase: The most common power supplies are either single- or three-phase.
• Common Motor Types: Totally Enclosed(TE), Totally Enclosed Non-Ventilated(TENV), Energy Efficient (EE or XL), or Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC).
• Cycles: 60 Hz (cycles per second) AC power is common throughout the US and 50 Hz is common in many foreign countries.

An example of the motor designation is:

• 1/2 HP- 230V- 3 Ph.60 Hz. TEFC or 1/2HP/230V/3Ph/60 Hz. TEFC
  This is translated as 1/2 Horsepower, 230 Volts, 3 Phase, 60 Hertz, Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled.

Horsepower Help

• Horsepower ratings in the catalog and website are calculated according to the standard speed listed for that conveyor. When increasing the speed, more horsepower may be needed. As a rule of thumb, it will take twice as much horsepower to move a given package at 130 FPM than at 65 FPM. The formula below may help to determine the approximate power requirements:
  
  

  HORSEPOWER IN CATALOG CHART (based on 65 FPM) X YOUR DESIRED SPEED (In FPM)
  65

  Example:

  • Model TA, 11 ft long requires 1/2 Hp motor at 65 Feet per minute for a total load of 320 pounds.
  • You desire your conveyor to operate at 90 Feet Per Minute.
  • Calculate as follows: (1/2 X 90) / 65 = .69
  • You should select the next highest horsepower or 3/4 Hp.

  This formula may be used to give you a good estimate. Ask us to do a complete horsepower calculation if you have any concerns.

• The service life of a conveyor running at a higher speed may be shortened considerably.
• Most conveyors are not designed to run over 200 FPM. When they do, some parts may need to be balanced to prevent excessive vibration, and special bearings may be required.
• The type of belting used on a conveyor may also need to be considered.
• NOTE: Pallet handling conveyors generally operate at 30 FPM and 30 may be substituted in the denominator of the formula

Motor Types

• Totally Enclosed: A motor enclosure, which prevents free exchange of air between the inside and the outside of the enclosure but is not airtight. This is the standard motor on many conveyors.
• Totally Enclosed Fan-Cooled: Provides for exterior cooling by means of a fan integral with the motor, but external to the enclosed parts.
• Totally Enclosed Non-Ventilated: Has no provisions for external cooling of the enclosed parts. The motor is cooled by heat radiation from the exterior surfaces to the surrounding atmosphere.
• Energy Efficient: Energy efficiency motors are specially designed to be more effective at converting electrical input to mechanical output.