How Close is Close Enough with DC Motors?

Abstract

Most mills in the forest products industry still have a variety of DC Drive/Motor applications. Aging systems pose an increased probability of failure. Unless it is a rare facility that has a full collection of spare motors, there is the inevitability that a failed motor will not have an exact match. This paper reviews some basic DC motor operation, explores the critical parameters to address when it isn't possible to find an exact match and outlines some data that should be gathered ahead of time to help in the analysis.