What Is A Motor Control?

Elevators, conveyors, pumps, compressors, hoists, blowers, fans and machine tools all rely on electric motors. Manufacturing in particular invests heavily in electric motors. For every motor, there is a control center — a motor-starting device or system. A magnetic motor starter is one example of a type of motor control. Magnetic motor starters are a slight misnomer because these devices are responsible for not only starting but running and sometimes staging an electric motor. “Staging” refers to the starter assemblies that cause a motor to reverse direction, plug (install), jog (test) or change to another speed. The motor starter also possesses some integral overload protection. The magnetic motor starter is the heart of the control schemes for the magnetic (as opposed to electronic) control of electric motors, whether that control be found in wall-mounted enclosure, part of a combination motor starter/circuit protector, part of some sort of reduced-voltage starter, or part of a motor control center.


Watch Motor Control Video.