Electric Motor Control Training - Starters, Circuits, Protection

• Engineering and design personnel
• Maintenance and technical services personnel
• Process and operations personnel
• Technical and process managers
• Engineering and design personnel
• Electrical consulting engineers
• Electrical contractors

Electric Motor Control Training Course Outline

DAY ONE

Control Devices and Control Circuits

Module 1: Motor Control Fundamentals and Safety

• Functions of a motor controller: start, stop, protect, reverse, jog and sequence
• Manual, semi-automatic and automatic control
• Power circuit, control circuit and pilot devices
• NEMA and IEC control equipment compared
• NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 safe work practices for motor control work
• Lockout and tagout, and justified energized troubleshooting

Module 2: Pilot and Sensing Devices

• Pushbuttons, selector switches, emergency stops and pilot lights
• Normally open and normally closed, maintained and momentary contacts
• Limit, float, pressure, flow and temperature switches
• Proximity, photoelectric and zero-speed switches
• Sinking and sourcing sensor connections

Module 3: Relays, Contactors, Starters and Timers

• Control relays and contactors compared
• Magnetic starter construction: coil, shading ring, main and auxiliary contacts
• NEMA sizes and IEC utilization categories (AC-3, AC-4)
• Manual motor starters and motor protective circuit breakers
• On-delay, off-delay and multifunction timing relays
• Control transformers, control voltage and control circuit fusing

Module 4: Reading Motor Control Diagrams

• Ladder, wiring and connection diagrams
• NEMA and IEC symbols
• Rung rules, wire numbering, line numbering and contact cross-referencing
• Transferring a ladder diagram to a wiring diagram
• Dual-voltage and wye-delta motor lead connections

Module 5: Basic Control Circuits

• Two-wire control and low-voltage release
• Three-wire control, seal-in contacts and low-voltage protection
• Multiple start/stop stations and pilot light circuits
• Hand-off-auto control
• Jogging and inching circuits
• Automatic float and pressure control circuits

Module 6: Reversing, Sequence, Timing and Braking Circuits

• Forward/reverse starters with mechanical and electrical interlocks
• Pushbutton interlocking and limit switch reversing
• Sequence starting and conveyor control
• Timed sequence circuits with on-delay and off-delay timers
• Plugging and anti-plugging with zero-speed switches
• DC injection braking and electromechanical brakes

DAY TWO

Starting, Protection, Codes and Troubleshooting

Module 7: Full-Voltage and Reduced-Voltage Starting

• Inrush current, locked-rotor code letters and voltage dip
• Across-the-line starting
• Primary resistor and reactor starting
• Autotransformer starting
• Wye-delta starting, open and closed transition
• Part-winding and two-speed starters
• Soft starters: ramp, current limit, pump control and bypass contactors
• Choosing a starting method

Module 8: Motor Overload and Protection Devices

• Bimetallic, eutectic alloy and electronic overload relays
• Trip classes 10, 20 and 30, ambient compensation and reset modes
• Phase loss, phase unbalance and single-phasing protection
• Electronic motor protection relays: ground fault, jam, underload and thermistor or RTD inputs
• ANSI protective device functions for larger motors
• Networked motor management and diagnostics

Module 9: Code Requirements: NEC Article 430 and CEC Section 28

• Using motor full-load current tables and nameplate data
• Branch-circuit conductor sizing
• Branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection
• Overload protection sizing
• Controller ratings, disconnecting means and in-sight requirements
• Control circuit protection
• Short-circuit current ratings (SCCR) and Type 1 and Type 2 coordination
• Worked sizing example

Module 10: Motor Control Centers

• MCC construction: vertical sections, bus and plug-in units
• NEMA wiring classes and types
• Combination starter units and MCC ratings
• Arc-resistant MCCs, remote racking and remote operation
• Intelligent MCCs
• MCC inspection and maintenance under NFPA 70B: thermography, torque checks, cleaning and contact inspection

Module 11: From Relay Logic to PLC Control

• Why PLCs replaced hardwired relay logic
• PLC inputs, outputs and processor
• Converting a ladder diagram to PLC ladder logic
• Interfacing starters and soft starters with PLCs
• Hardwired emergency stop and safety relay circuits
• Using PLC I/O status for troubleshooting

Module 12: Troubleshooting Motor Control Circuits

• A structured troubleshooting method
• Safe meter selection and use: CAT ratings and test-before-touch
• Voltage tracing and continuity testing
• Power circuit faults versus control circuit faults
• Common failures: coils, contacts, overloads, control transformer fuses and loose connections
• Motor or controller: quick checks before calling for motor testing
• Fault-finding scenarios, course review and Q&A

COURSE SCHEDULE

Both days:

Start: 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Finish: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time