How to size an AC drive for conveyor upgrades
Start from motor FLA, overload duty and braking - then the series. A packaging line that added load will trip a drive that was fine last year.
When a packaging line adds load or a gearbox is replaced, the original VFD is often undersized. Start from motor FLA, overload duty (normal versus heavy) and whether the stop is a coast, a ramp or a brake resistor - then match frame size, EMC filter and keypad language.
A 380-480 V three-phase conveyor that used to run across-the-line will heat a compact vector drive if you ignore deceleration energy. Delta MS300 / C2000, ABB ACS and PowerFlex 525 class units are common on these cells; the option board and the braking transistor are not optional if the OEM drawing shows them.
We stock photographed VFD frames and the matching brake modules when the carton is on the shelf. Send the motor plate and the existing drive type key. We will not quote a “same kilowatt” substitute that drops the overload class.
If the job is a fan or pump with variable torque, say so. Constant-torque conveyor duty and HVAC duty do not share the same thermal model, even when the catalog page looks similar.