The Initi@tives are comprehensive multi-industry trade expositions and this was only the second such event to take place in the U.S. Over 1,400 attendees perused new technologies that help businesses do more with less energy, meet code and legislative requirements, and prepare for future trends.

Space limitations prevent reviewing every device on display, but several items stood out. Preventive maintenance (PM) plays a critical role in lengthening motor life and promoting energy efficiency. Good PM typically demands good plant records.

The TeSys T Motor Management System by Telemecanique combines primary motorprotection needs with the ability to record motor history, statistics, and timestamped faults, thus giving a real-time view of motor operation. The system lets plant personnel analyze existing faults and anticipate future performance to avoid nuisance trips, reduce downtime, and do less maintenance and repair.

The motor-management system monitors and controls six motor functions while guarding against overload, peak current, and excessive power consumption. It can report using any of five fieldbus types: Ethernet, Modbus, CANopen, DeviceNet, and Profibus, without auxiliary modules or communication gateways. With a complete motor operating history at their fingertips, PM specialists can adjust maintenance schedules as needed, paying more attention to motors seeing frequent overloads while extending schedules for those lightly loaded. One popular display by the Juno Lighting Group of Schneider Electric used different types of lighting, including halogen and LED, in simulated homes and store fronts. The light sources let visitors see how different types of light affect the surroundings.

APC by Schneider Electric displayed its line of critical power and cooling devices for home, office, data center, and factory floor. Green is in, and the Efficient Enterprise initiative is APC’s approach to help companies use less power. Some data centers have seen energy use drop 30% by initiating the Efficient Enterprise program.

While Telemecanique is Schneider Electric’s wellknown automation and motor-control brand in Europe, here in the U.S. the firm is better known for its Square D brand. For example, the Model 6 Motor Control Center now carries the TeSys T Motor Management System with internal data communication, linking the control directly into five different industrial networks. In addition, an RJ-45 jack mounted on the controller lets plant personnel connect a laptop or PC or HMI. The system supports six discrete inputs and three relay outputs for logic I/O control, though additional modules can extend that capacity.

Model 6 PowerPact main circuit breakers have current ratings from 800 to 2,500 A. Available in M, P, and R-frame styles, the PowerPact breakers feature Micrologic electronic trip units. Micrologic control lets two PowerPact breakers work in tandem to automatically switch plant power from utility feed to backup generator in a main-tie-main configuration.