# Powerflex 525 fault 003 vibrating conveyor



## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

That is a tough one. What you describe is a rapid load-unload of the motor.
Are you running in V/HZ or vector mode?
Does it happen at any speed or just ranges of speed. If it is just certain frequencies due to residences frequency you could do skip freq.
Constant torque setting may work also.

Paging @JRaef and @paulengr and @gpop this is interesting issue can't wait for answers.

Cowboy


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## Carl99 (Nov 8, 2021)

just the cowboy said:


> That is a tough one. What you describe is a rapid load-unload of the motor.
> Are you running in V/HZ or vector mode?
> Does it happen at any speed or just ranges of speed. If it is just certain frequencies due to residences frequency you could do skip freq.
> Constant torque setting may work also.
> ...


It is configured as V/Hz
At this point we've only tested at 30Hz and 50hz and on both occassions the fault occured.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

check for a blown fuse as it will run on 2 unless its heavily loaded. (that also includes a fuse installed with a label over the metal piece etc)


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## Carl99 (Nov 8, 2021)

the drive runs for about 10 to 15 mins before it trips. Will a blown fuse allow it to run for this long???


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Carl99 said:


> the drive runs for about 10 to 15 mins before it trips. Will a blown fuse allow it to run for this long???


If you don't load the motor to heavy it will run that way forever. 

Monitor the dc buss voltage on the display. Somewhere in the manual it tells you the low voltage trip point.


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## Peewee0413 (Oct 18, 2012)

I've worked on several vibrating conveyors, what is your source of vibration?


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## Peewee0413 (Oct 18, 2012)

Do you have a contactor or motor protection breaker before the drive by any chance?


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

This link explains alarm codes Allen Bradley PowerFlex 525 Fault Codes | Precision Electronic Services, Inc.
I guess i was wrong (not the first time today) low dc buss is 004. 

*F003 Power Loss*
Single phase operation detected with excessive load.
• Monitor the incoming AC line for low voltage or line power interruption.
• Check input fuses.


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## Peewee0413 (Oct 18, 2012)

The drive would run single phase input, but would fault if you can't supply the power needed for the output right?


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

If possible, run a fall-of-potential test from as close to the source as you can get to the input terminals of the VFD. Depending on the layout of the plant, you might need to use long wire and I'd recommend at least 2 people who are comfortable working stuff hot, one at the source and one at the VFD. 

Run one test when it first starts and another when you guess it's about to trip.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

Vibrating feeders are the toughest application. Heavy duty setting for a start but when you size these figure on 250% of HP rating. So on a 100 HP you’d buy a “250 HP” VFD to start with. It’s not so much a horsepower thing as you need a much larger than normal DC link capacitor. Also a braking resistor is a must for the same reason. You might get by with a constant torque drive only if it’s big enough and occasionally I have but the braking resistor becomes a must. Also some drives have special settings for this. I’ve tried vector and V/Hz. Either one seems to work equally badly. With V/Hz in particular if it has an HD mode turn that on. Also some drives have higher current settings at the low end. Turn that on too. It’s not so much that you need the torque as to get it to handle high regenerative currents (reverse power flow) when the feeder/conveyor “bucks”.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

That fault is generated by monitoring the DC bus ripple level. Too much ripple in the DC indicates a phase loss on the input with more load than the capacitors can handle. Do you have a single phase input? If not, could you have a blown input fuse? This is how the drive detects that.


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## Peewee0413 (Oct 18, 2012)

JRaef said:


> That fault is generated by monitoring the DC bus ripple level. Too much ripple in the DC indicates a phase loss on the input with more load than the capacitors can handle. Do you have a single phase input? If not, could you have a blown input fuse? This is how the drive detects that.


Agreed, the most probable scenario.


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## rikoasdf (10 mo ago)

I just had the same issue. On our vibrating conveyor. It driven by an AJAX. Basically swinging weights in a gear box swinging opposite directions. Well kept faulting on F003 power loss. Well after checking all parameters and putting a data logger on drive and motor. Found no issues with anything. Parameters on drive good and voltages. Unhooked the motor and it ran just fine. So replaced the motor. Ran for 2 weeks. . Then the fault came back. Checked and found no issues. Replaced motor again. Ran for a week and faulted same fault. All good again. So changed the drive. Ran fine for 4 days. Then it came back. Replaced over load, disconnect, pulled all new wire. It would only run 10 mins after that. So there was only one thing left. Check the AJAX and hanger position. Hangers off but 1 inch. And AJAX had bad bearings. The combination of the both cause some weird anomaly in the motor windings as it was being shook to destruction. Took vibration readings and That somehow the drive was able to detect. Rebuilt the AJAX, replace the hangers and adjusted to correct angle. Put the first original drive I deemed was bad. And it ran non-stop as we are also a 24-hour food manufacturing facility. Well the first time I've ever seen this what I have a new respect for the 525 drive. As it pointed to the pm not being performed correctly to manufacturer specifications. Hope that helps.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

One common way I’ve seen this is when there is a chain drive and the chain is loose as a goose. Every so often the chain binds up and pops suddenly, it causes a trip. Fix the tensioner.

DC Bus overvoltage is a common issue with all drives.


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## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

> ... Took vibration readings and That somehow the drive was able to detect. ...


Years ago I cut out an article from a magazine that was detailing a way to detect mechanical imbalances in a load driven by a VFD by looking at the DC bus current. It was a great article but really heady, so I cut it out for future reference with a plan to scan it into my PC someday. 10 years later I had not gotten around to scanning it yet, but my wife and daughter did me a "favor" by cleaning out all of the "junk" papers in my home office, that was among them. I have not forgiven them for that...


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