Traditionally, AC drives have primarily been used in applications like conveyors, fans, and powering pumps.  While their use in those applications will continue, it is a fact that the end-users of today have a different approach to that of a few years back.

AC drives are now fully developed and thus more widely accepted as a product.  No longer does one need to wonder about what AC drives are capable of, seeing as it can be used for a wide variety of uses in a vast array of applications.  This shift in attitude brings forward the assumption that AC drives are simple to buy, install, start up, commission, own, and run.

All the time, AC drives are finding use in new applications, such as in exercise machines, pizza ovens, honey centrifuges, and car washes, to name just a few.  AC drives are considered commodities when used in these applications, and original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who may not traditionally have used AC drives are once again demanding the simplicity it offers.  The results of a recent survey showed that alternating-current- (AC-) drive users rated simple controls and setups and convenient operator interfaces as being quite important.