Raphael 4040 for Agility Engineering
The Problem
Agility Engineering was spray coating one printed circuit board using the manual spray-coat method. This required them to purchase masks and caused delays due to the lengthy process of coating by hand. They learned about the Raphael 4040 in early 2022 and reached out to Invention House to learn more about our innovative automated conformal coating robot.
Our Solution
The Invention House team delivered the Raphael 4040 to Agility Engineering in June 2022, set it up at their facility, and provided a full day of onsite training to verify their team knew how to operate it.
The Results
Thanks to the Raphael 4040, Agility Engineer has increased its capacity to run six different boards and panels consisting of thousands of PCBs. Conformal coating at Agility has gone mainstream thanks to our automated conformal coating robot.
Navy 400 Hz Converter
Category
Military
Snapshot
Replaced discontinued 400Hz converter with instant savings of $200,000
Customer Comment
“Invention House Drives do not fail.”
The SPAWAR division of the US Navy was unable to procure a 400Hz power converter because it was discontinued by the original manufacturer. The converter drives cooling fans in the precision approach radar system used at Naval air stations such as Camp Pendleton and NAS Pensacola. In 1 month, Invention House designed and delivered a converter that met the form, fit, and function requirements. In addition, the new converter is current limited and will not burn out like the old unit. Since development, Invention House has delivered over 60 units, saving the government hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first year alone.
VFD for Military Tent Ventilation Unit
Category
HVAC, Military
Snapshot
Created VFD for mobile ventilation unit which automatically increases motor speed to maintain CFM regardless of filter back pressure and altitude.
Customer Comment
“We now save hundreds of thousands annually on unnecessary filter replacements and produce a more controlled environment for the troops.”
A major supplier of ventilation/pressurization units for various tent-based systems (i.e. medical aid, mobile hospital, troop quarters, etc) was experiencing excess premature filter replacement demands caused by filtered particle build up. The ventilation units are required to deliver a constant airflow and as the back pressure increased, the only in-field solution was to replace the filter. Invention House solved this problem by creating a custom drive solution which had 50% more horsepower and could maintain the airflow against higher filter back pressure. The result: a dramatic decrease in filter replacement, saving the military time, money and decreased shipping and inventory of filters plus the added benefit of a greater range of deployment.
Photo: HDT Global
James Webb Telescope Shipping Container Supported by Invention House Motor Drive
Invention House is pleased to share the news that we provided custom 400 Hz electric motor drives for the protective container for the James Webb Telescope. The telescope was transported all over the world inside an enormous climate-controlled container, called STARRS (Space Telescope Transporter for Air, Road, and Sea).
The custom 400 Hz motor drive system supplied by Invention House allowed the container’s air conditioning system to operate anywhere in the world, on the road, and in the air. It accepted power supply at 50hz,60hz, or 400hz and delivered a steady 60hz to the compressor and fans.
NASA had very tight specifications on the allowable temperature and humidity excursions within the container, also known as the James Webb Telescope “cocoon.”
- The telescope, cocoon, air conditioners, and generators were mounted to a large custom flatbed semi-trailer.
- On the highway, diesel generators provided 60hz power while in the air the C5’s turbine alternators provided 400hz power. The James Webb telescope traveled to Europe where the supply is 50hz.
- Invention House provided 14kw and 2kw drives for the compressor and fans. The drives were custom engineered to withstand the vibration, temperature, and humidity extremes of being on a tractor-trailer and in flight.
The system was in service for over 4 years and traveled over 15,000 miles (24,160 km) with several stops in the US, Europe, and finally landing in French Guyana South America from where the James Webb Telescope was launched. The rocket was an Ariane 5 from the European Space Agency. Rockets with their heavy payloads are often launched from near the equator where the surface of the earth is spinning fastest, giving the rockets an extra boost.
NASA reported no issues with the system.
The red arrow shows the location of Invention House 400 Hz drives on the James Webb STTARS container.
Reliable 400hz Motor Drive for Helicopter Logging
A reliable 400hz motor drive was needed by the VIH Aviation Group to support their helicopter logging operations in Canada. VIH logging helicopters and crews operate in extreme weather, payload, and altitude conditions and needed a ruggedized 400hz aviation drive capable of supporting the hydraulic winch pods used in their fleet of heavy-lift helicopters.
What is Helicopter Logging?
Helicopter logging is an eco-friendly method of harvesting timber where individual trees are extracted from a forest by a helicopter, rather than by traditional ground-based methods such as logging trucks or trains. The helicopter is equipped with a long cable and grappling hook, which is used to lift the logs out of the forest and transport them to a landing area where they can be loaded onto trucks or trains for transport to a mill.
Harvested logs can weigh several thousands of pounds requiring substantial lift and winch power to raise and lower the logs. Helicopter logging is typically used in areas that are difficult to access by ground, such as steep terrain or rugged wilderness areas. It can also be used to selectively harvest valuable trees without causing damage to the surrounding forest.
PHOTO: VIH AVIATION GROUP
Custom 400hz Drive for Hydraulic Winch Pod
Helicopter logging is an eco-friendly method of harvesting timber where individual trees are extracted from a forest by a helicopter, rather than by traditional ground-based methods such as logging trucks or trains. The helicopter is equipped with a long cable and grappling hook, which is used to lift the logs out of the forest and transport them to a landing area where they can be loaded onto trucks or trains for transport to a mill.
Harvested logs can weigh several thousands of pounds requiring substantial lift and winch power to raise and lower the logs. Helicopter logging is typically used in areas that are difficult to access by ground, such as steep terrain or rugged wilderness areas. It can also be used to selectively harvest valuable trees without causing damage to the surrounding forest.
Invention House Designs & Builds Custom 400hz Motor Drives
Invention House, LLC based in St Louis, MO has over 22 years of experience designing and developing custom single-phase and 3-phase VFD motor drives. Phil Langhorst, Invention House founder, and its president is a nationally recognized expert in power control and variable frequency drive design and manufacture, with special expertise in ruggedized and military spec motor drives. If your company is searching for a 400hz motor drive, we encourage you to contact Invention House today.
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