ABB announces digital switchgear solutions

ABB has launched a range of low-voltage digital switchgear for power distribution and motor control. The MNS Digital design is verified in accordance with the latest IEC standards, IEC 61439 -1/-2 and IEC TR 61641. The company says the MNS switchgear assembly is of scalable design, enabling ABB to supply integrated solutions for changing business environments.

It combines maintenance-free frame structures and busbars, a fully modular construction and the capability to integrate feeder, motor starter, variable speed drives, power factor compensation, etc, and UPS technologies in a safety-focused and space-saving manner.

The MNS Digital smart device family includes the onsite ABB Ability Condition Monitoring for electrical systems that provides the hardware and software backbone to collect data for condition-based maintenance. In-built smart devices, such as Emax 2 and Tmax XT low-voltage circuit breakers, UMC100.3 or M10x motor controller and others, not only enable continuous monitoring of the switchgear and performance trends, they also provide further insight on the condition that help to define correct maintenance procedures, says ABB.

“In its simplest form, monitoring the condition of electrical equipment is a pre-emptive way to carry out maintenance,” said Saw-Chin Toh, Product Marketing Manager – Primary MV and LV Switchgear, ABB Australia. “While there will always be a need for maintenance teams, the evolution of digitalisation and digital switchgear is shifting the focus. Today, it is all about using integrated solutions to provide actionable information that helps prevent downtime and ensure smooth operations within an industrial plant.”

The MNS switchgear is based on ABB’s MNS 3.0 design for both energy distribution and motor control applications in withdrawable, plug-in and fixed designs. The newcomers to the range include:

• MNS motor control centre with M10x-TCP motor controller: An integrated solution of the LVS Digital platform and ABB Ability Condition Monitoring for electrical systems (CMES), which comes with a Modbus TCP interface module for it to be integrated into Ethernet networks directly.
• FC610 solution for energy feeder module: Providing a range of power monitoring, energy analysis and power quality analysis functions, with a local HMI panel to allow operators to monitor the data in front of the switchgear in addition to the CMES.
• MNS switchgear with MS572 converter: A generic converter used in MNS switchgear including motor control centres and energy and power control centres that facilitates Modbus RTU devices to be integrated to Modbus TCP Ethernet networks.