American Rotary has been making premium rotary phase converters for more than 20 years. American Rotary provides industry leading telephone support for technical, application, and sizing questions. American Rotary stands behind its products with the best warranty in the industry. American Rotary uses premium components to ensure that its products perform for you. American Rotary is a UL Certified Control Panel Builder, and its rotary phase converters are available UL Listed to US and Canadian Safety Standards. American Rotary has partnered with Baldor Electric one of the world’s largest and most respected manufacturers to supply its custom-engineered idler/generators. American Rotary is listed with D&B as well as the Better Business Bureau, and is committed to high ethical and privacy standards.
Product Innovations/Advancements
For more than 20 years, American Rotary has led the industry in innovation and design. American Rotary has introduced, field-tested, and proven several technologically advanced features which have driven increases in the reliability and precision voltage balancing capabilities of phase conversion unmatched in the industry.
American Rotary generators are available with a digital controller, which replaces electro-mechanical relays to more reliably and precisely start the phase converter while constantly monitoring voltage and making automatic adjustments when necessary. This industry-changing advancement not only provides critical protection to the starting circuit, induction generator, and equipment, but also balances the voltage so precisely that our phase converter is preferred by high-end equipment manufactures and many regional and state power companies.
The engineers at American Rotary worked with the engineers at Baldor for over a year designing a custom induction generator for phase conversion, which reduced the inrush current on start-up so drastically (83% reduction…a stock motor requires 600% more inrush) that American Rotary’s induction generator was granted a Soft Start rating, and a resulting reduction in operating cost!
Voltage Balance Testing Claims
The load range is very important when verifying voltage balance claims. A claim of 2% voltage balance may be true for a very limited operating condition, but won’t exist for your application under load, even with field adjustments. This is especially true for stock or modified TEFC or ODP motors. American Rotary precision balances all CNC units over 100% load of the phase converter. In addition, American Rotary’s custom Baldor induction generators are wound with ISR magnet wire, which makes them immune to current spikes common in CNC equipment. Some companies offer motors from more than one manufacturer to go with their phase converter panel. However, different brands and different types of motors balance differently.
Induction Generator vs TEFC and ODP Motors
There are many differences between American Rotary’s Phase Converter Induction Generator and stock or modified TEFC and ODP electric motors. American Rotary has constructed the following table to summarize the most critical differences.
| Induction Generator | TEFC/ODP Motors (Stock or Modified) |
|---|---|
| Designed to deliver superior voltage and current balance required for phase converter applications, and it is 98% efficient | Designed to provide torque for a load on its shaft, making it less efficient, and diminishing its ability to attain precise voltage balance. |
| Soft Start rating granted by reducing inrush current (and operating cost) by 83%. | Requires 600% more inrush current to start and cost more to operate. |
| Manufactured without an exposed rotating shaft. | Manufactured with an exposed rotating shaft that must be removed for safety, which causes physical imbalance, and may cause bearing failure and/or void the motor manufacturer’s warranty. |
| Designed to operate at synchronous speed indefinitely, which means you can safely leave your phase converter running at idle. | Not designed to operate at synchronous speed for long periods without a mechanical load on the shaft. |
| Run quietly and stay cool while optimizing voltage and current balance. | TEFC motors have large cooling fans that produce noise and rob power to stay cool, which further reduces its ability to balance voltage. |
| Manufactured to our specifications by Baldor Electric 100% in the USA. | Manufactured in China (Worldwide Electric, Leeson), Brazil (Weg), and Taiwan. |
Important Safety Warning
Do not buy a stock TEFC or ODP motor with an exposed rotating shaft. It is a known safety hazard and can cause serious injury. Insurance companies may consider injuries from an exposed rotating shaft a form of negligence. Please verify before you buy!
Quality of Construction
American Rotary utilizes 100% stress-free mounts on all components. Any electrical product that has any components, especially capacitors (usually silver or black cylinder-shaped parts inside the panel), that are mounted with banding of any kind should be avoided. Banding (tension mounting) is an inexpensive way to mount capacitors and other components, but severely shortens their life by causing damage to the outside of the capacitor. Weakening the casing eventually leads to leaking and ultimately, failure.
Warranty
American Rotary realizes that down time can be a costly expense at your business, which is why AR has the best warranty and technical support in the industry. American Rotary is always here to help via phone, email or chat to get your problem resolved in a timely and efficient manner. We offer the leading warranty in the industry on all of our products and back them with our 100% guarantee.