NEW DELHI, INDIA: Schneider Electric, a provider in energy efficiency and management announced the launch of Altivar 12 recently. It is a new small variable speed drive. The product promises to deliver flexibility, energy efficiency and reliability. Its compact easy-to-use design suits the contemporary requirement of auxiliaries for industrial machines and for consumer machines.

Altivar 12 can be used in various fields. These include the food industry which include ventilation of catering kitchens, bagging machines, bakers' kneading machines, greenhouses, etc; small handling applications such as car washes and conveyors etc; medical and health sector in the form of medical beds and running machines; machines with a single-phase socket like wood-working machines, surface polishing and cleaning machines, swimming pool or irrigation pumps, hydro-massage bathtubs, etc; as well as other simple mechanical applications for instance 2-speed motors, DC motors, mechanical drives, etc.

Altivar 12 is equipped with built-in category C1 EMC filter that ensures integration into an electrical network. It comes in various sizes the smallest model measuring up to just 72 mm wide, 102 mm deep and 143 mm high. The Altivar 12 incorporates nearly 150 application-specific functions. Its cable installer only needs one standard-sized screwdriver to install both the control and power sections. The power section is wired up without removing the terminal cover. It comes with an improved access angles and numerous markings which eliminate the risk of errors. The references and serial numbers are always visible on the front, even if products are mounted side by side.

One of the core new features of this product is the navigation button. The small wheel on the front gives direct fingertip access, allowing the user to customize the configuration. Also the drive can be configured in its packaging without making it power on. The BlueTooth link makes it easy to transfer configurations via PC/Mobile. A user can transfer the data from a PC with a SoMove program to a mobile phone. The Simple Loader accessory can be used to transfer the configuration quickly from one powered-up drive to another.

Altivar 12 communicates easily with all the other machine components via the integrated universal Modbus serial link. It is easily integrated into control system architectures.

"Like all new-generation Schneider Electric products, the Altivar 12 has been eco-designed. It meets the requirements of the ROHS and WEEE directives. We have reduced its maintenance to a minimum and it has been designed to last 10 years," said Deepak Kashyap, product manager, Schneider Electric.

 "With the Altivar 12, energy saving has not been forgotten: a reduction of more than 30 percent in energy costs is assured for the majority of pumps and fan applications," he continued.