Search

Premium Membership ♕

Limited Time Offer: Save 15% on PRO Plan with discount code: LRN15 and study specialized LV/MV/HV technical articles and studies.

Motor Starters

Welcome to this EATON’s guide, which is about starters, devices that control the use of electrical power to equipment, usually a motor. As the name implies, starters “start” motors. They can also stop them, reverse them, accelerate them, and protect them.

Basics Of Motor Starters And Contactors
Basics Of Motor Starters And Contactors (on photo: Eaton Magnetic Motor Starter)

Starters are made from two building blocks, contactors and overload protection:

  • Contactors control the electric current to the motor. Their function is to repeatedly establish and interrupt an electrical power circuit.
  • Overload Protection protects motors from drawing too much current and overheating, from literally “burning out.”

The Contactors

A contactor can stand on its own as a power control device, or as part of a starter. Contactors are used in applications ranging from the light switch to the most complex, automated industrial equipment.

Contactors are used by electrical equipment that is frequently turned off and on (opening and closing the circuit), such as lights, heaters, and motors.

A starter is made up of a controller (most often a contactor) and overload protection
Figure 1 – A starter is made up of a controller (most often a contactor) and overload protection

Whatever the application, the function of the contactor is always the same: to make and break all power supply lines running to a load. Or, as defined by NEMA, to repeatedly establish and interrupt an electrical power circuit.

We’ll start by talking about the building blocks of a starter: the contactor and overload protection. We will then conclude with a discussion on starters.

Here are the topics that we will cover:

  1. The Contactor (magnetic contactor, how the contactor operates, contact life etc.)
  2. Overload Protection (How motors work, what is an overload?, overload relay, tripping etc.)
  3. The Starter (magnetic motor starter, starter circuitry, types, standards and ratings etc.)
  4. Helping the Customer (NEMA or IEC?, checking the motor nameplate etc.)
Title:Basics Of Motor Starters And Contactors by EATON
Format:PDF
Size:649 KB
Pages:37
Download:Right here | Video Courses | Membership | Download Updates
Basics Of Motor Starters And Contactors
Basics Of Motor Starters And Contactors by EATON

Premium Membership

Get access to premium HV/MV/LV technical articles, advanced electrical engineering guides, papers, and much more! It will help you to shape up your technical skills in your everyday life as an electrical engineer.
50% Discount 💥 - Save 50% on all 90+ video courses with Enterprise Membership plan.

More Information

4 Comments


  1. Alois Jaka
    May 31, 2017

    this is great ‘


  2. amdou bah
    May 30, 2017

    Helps


  3. sakthi
    Dec 15, 2015

    Neutral


  4. dharam pal
    Dec 14, 2015

    Namskar,
    Thanks for your valuable information.

Leave a Reply to amdou bah

Tell us what you're thinking. We care about your opinion! Please keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. So, please do not use a spammy keyword or a domain as your name, or it will be deleted. Let's have a professional and meaningful conversation instead. Thanks for dropping by!

eight  ×    =  fifty six

Learn How to Design Power Systems

Learn to design LV/MV/HV power systems through professional video courses. Lifetime access. Enjoy learning!

Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our Weekly Digest newsletter and receive free updates on new technical articles, video courses and guides (PDF).
EEP Academy Courses - A hand crafted cutting-edge electrical engineering knowledge