You´ve always asked yourself how you should select the right frequency converter for your application? It takes you hours to dig through data sheets to find out what converter suits you? Then you should have a look at this guide!

A quick guide to select a frequency converter

Tip 1 – Select the correct degree of protection

For an operation without disturbances you have to choose the correct degree of protection. There are different protection classes for converters. Which protection class you need depends on the location of the installation. If you install the converter in a control cabinet an IP20 degree of protection is adequate. For decentral installation – e.g. next to the motor or mounted to a wall – you should go with a converter that is IP55 certified (or higher).

Tip 2 – Select the optimal power, current and voltage

Before selecting a converter, you should know the line voltage and the motor connection. Once you know that, you can further narrow your choice based on the rated power and/or the rated current, which also impact the size of your converter.

Converters differ in modularity. Basic, compact converters are e.g. used in pumping, moving, processing applications. For other applications e.g. positioning or machining you can choose a flexible device with a modular design. You can select modular converters based on space requirements, design flexibility and many more criteria.

You can also choose converters with a function for energy recovery. These converters feed braking energy back into the line supply to use it as a sustainable resource instead of just converting it into heat.

Tip 3 – Select the communication capabilities

Communication is everything. What applies to our social lives is also true for converters. You can select from a wide variety of communication solutions, such as Profinet, Profisafe, Profibus DP, Ethernet/IP, USS/Modbus RTU, CANopen and many more. This also helps you to further narrow down which converter you need.

Tip 4 – “Safety Integrated” – ensure the maximum protection of employees and production

Let´s talk safety: At this point you should ask yourself whether the planned measures to protect employees and production are sufficient and compliant with legal stipulations. If safety is required in your drive system, you can rest assured: most state-of-the-art converters already have the necessary integrated safety functionalities available. “Safety Integrated” devices include functions such as STO, SS1, SBC, SLS, SDI, SSM. With “Safety Integrated”, you can enhance the safety of your system or your machine while reducing costs for design, configuration, installation and commissioning.

These are our four tips to quickly select a converter. For further information about our drives, please have a look at our frequency converter website. Download the SINAMICS Selector App to easily choose your converter here: IOS or Android