Motor Starter With Savings up to 73% Compared to Traditional Cast & Bolted Motor Starters

Published 12 Jul 2019

Appleton PlexPower Motor Starter

Appleton PlexPower Motor Starter

  • uploaded by Chris Dodds - Thorne & Derrick Sales & Marketing Manager

Hazardous Area Motor Starter

Appleton PlexPower Motor Starter

Class I, Division 2 or Class I, Zone 1 Hazardous Areas

Appleton PlexPower is designed for hazardous areas, wet or corrosive locations such as oil refineries and chemical plants, the Appleton PlexPower hazardous area motor starter provides electrical apparatus protection combined with the convenience and savings of off-the-shelf components.

Appleton PlexPower motor starter is a cost-effective, easy-to-install and simple-to-operate alternative to traditional cast and bolted motor starters in the form of its new Appleton PlexPower solution for hazardous area applications.

Appleton PlexPower motor starters deliver savings up to 73% compared to the total cost of ownership of traditional cast and bolted motor starters – they are fabricated from lightweight 316L stainless steel instead of heavy-cast aluminum, PlexPower motor starters require fewer engineers and less labour hours to install. Also, there is no need for conduit seals or cable glands like with traditional cast and bolted motor starters.

Another advantage is the hazardous area certified motor starters are not limited only to switch rack mounting. For example, by locating the PlexPower closer to motors and equipment, electricians can shorten cable runs to achieve lower overall labour and materials costs. Modular design construction using cost effective off-the-shelf breakers, contractors and motor starters also ensures faster commissioning by making replacements readily available from multiple suppliers.

Hazardous Area Motor Starter - Appleton PlexPower

Hazardous Area Motor Starter – Appleton PlexPower

Appleton PlexPower

Hazardous Area Motor Starter

Features & Benefits

  • Full voltage, combination and non-combination, single and multiple motor starter
  • These motor starters provide disconnecting means, circuit protection, and motor running protection
  • Ideal for use in areas where hazardous materials are handled or stored such as petroleum plants, chemical plants, refineries, wastewater treatment plants, paper and pulp industries, and other process facilities
  • Ideal for placement in wet, corrosive environments or where flammable gases or vapors are likely to be present
  • No external conduit or cable seals required thus making installations faster, easier, and less costly
  • Feature a ground-breaking design that uses individual breaker, contactor and motor starter housings to minimize the downtime and costs associated with maintenance in hazardous locations
  • Accommodate non-proprietary off-the-shelf breakers, contactors and motor starters, making replacements readily available from multiple sources
  • The lighter weight contactor and motor starter enclosure with quarter turn latches, can be quickly opened in the field for easier servicing
  • Gland plate at the bottom of enclosure can be easily field punched for cable or conduit entries. Additional gland plates available for sides and top can be ordered with the panelboard
  • Standard configuration includes external actuation and a solid door
  • For multiple contactor or motor starter panels, each contactor or motor starter can be individually padlocked in either the “On” or “Off” position
  • Ground and/or neutral bars, external/internal ground lug and drain/breather provided as standard

“The Appleton PlexPower delivers on Emerson’s enduring commitment to the electrical professional with a patented design that saves time and money, while giving electricians working in hazardous locations much needed peace of mind,” said Tim Graff, Vice President of Engineering for Emerson Automation Solutions. “Because it is easier to install, operate, upgrade and maintain, it is the perfect alternative to traditional cast motor starters.”

Motor Starters

Appleton PlexPower motor starters offer fast installation by increasing mounting flexibility with a slimmer footprint and flexible, modular design. They can be configured in single or multiple motor starter designs to reduce space requirements in crowded control rooms while meeting exact specifications. In addition, the starters can be mounted standalone at various locations throughout a facility, giving additional convenience while saving valuable space and cabling costs.

Accessibility to enclosures is one of the biggest challenges for end users installing, operating, and maintaining hazardous area motor starters. To access internal components in traditional cast and bolted enclosures, up to 70 bolts must be loosened and then tightened again, leading to extended production downtime and potentially greater risk to arc flash accidents. Plus, improperly torqued or missing bolts can be dangerous and cause accidents or safety risks.

To combat this time-consuming and potentially dangerous situation, the PlexPower is designed for easier accessibility to be quickly opened with a few quarter-turn latches rather than multiple bolts. Only standard tools are needed to open and close the enclosure, which means production lines can be up and running in less time and greater profitability.

The Appleton PlexPower Motor Starter modular design improves worker safety by limiting workers’ exposure to high levels of incident energy when installed close to the application. Component level protection means every component has its own module with its own flame path. The result is fewer workplace accidents, a diminished risk of damaging the flame path, and greater flexibility and convenience for the end-user.

Appleton PlexPower Motor Starters are available with up to a NEMA 1 size starter and have NEC and CEC Certification for Class I, Division 2 or Class I, Zone 1 and Type 4X hazardous area applications.

Hazardous area Specifications

NEC and CEC Certifications and Compliances – Ex de IIB+H2 T6; Class I, Zone 1, AEx de IIB+H2 T6; Class I, Division 2, Groups B, C, D; Class II, Division 2, Groups F, G; Class III; Type 4X; IP66
Standard Materials and Finishes – 316L stainless steel enclosure with stainless steel hardware and hard drawn, tin plated, copper bus bar
Options – Class I, Division 2, Zone 2 equivalency only, gland plate, thermostatically controlled heater, inverted feed, lockable wing knobs, name/legend plate, and terminal blocks are available.

Further Reading

Appleton ATX

OFFICIAL & AUTHORISED STOCKIST DISTRIBUTOR | ATX | UK & Export Sales

ATEX Hazardous Area Electrical Equipment

Lighting ♦ Plugs & Sockets ♦ Control Stations ♦ Junction Boxes

Appleton ATX Hazardous Area Electrical Equipment

Full range of Appleton ATX Hazardous Area Products available from Thorne & Derrick stock and 5 Day Express Service:

  • Plugs & Sockets | Zone 1 & Zone 2 Hazardous Area Plug & Sockets EX ATEX Certified
  • Isolators & Safety Switches |  Zone 2 Isolators & Safety Switches EX ATEX Certified  
  • Lighting | Zone 1 & Zone 2 Hazardous Area Lighting EX ATEX Certified
  • Junction Boxes | Zone 1 & Zone 2 Hazardous Area Junction Boxes EX ATEX Certified
  • Control Stations | Zone 1 & Zone 2 Hazardous Area Control Stations EX ATEX Certified ATEXThorne & Derrick

ELECTRICAL & PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION EQUIPMENT

FOR EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES

Thorne & Derrick International, based in the UK, are Specialist Distributors of Hazardous Area & Explosion Proof Equipment with IECEx & ATEX Certifications to the onshore and offshore oil, gas, petrochemicals and process industries.

Key Product Categories: Control Panels | Plugs & Sockets | Isolators | Enclosures & Junction Boxes | Lighting | Control Stations | Motor Starters | Heat Trace Cables & Systems | Gas Detection & Detectors | Fire Detection & Detectors | Heat Detectors | Electrical Heating & Heaters 

➡ Also Process Instrumentation Products: Ashcroft Pressure Gauges | ASCO Valves | Katronic Flow Meters | KROHNE Flow Meters | VEGA Level Sensors | Rotronic Temperature & Humidity Sensors | SIKA Pressure Gauges

ATEX Process Instrumentation

Trace Heating | System Design & Supply

Further Reading