Among the factors that determine the lifespan of inverters, dust combined with humidity is the number one enemy. Therefore, we need to clean the inverters properly and regularly.

Currently, in most factories in Vietnam, inverters are often not maintained regularly and are only replaced when they break down. Dust combined with humidity is the number one enemy of industrial electronic equipment. This is why we need to regularly clean and maintain equipment to optimize their performance.

What happens when inverters are not cleaned regularly?

• Dust accumulates on the boards and components, causing fire hazards.
• Moisture on the boards can cause short circuits and component failure.
• Dust builds up on heat sinks, and the ventilation fans are unable to cool effectively, causing the inverter to always run at high temperatures, leading to component aging and quicker failure. Particularly, conductive dust like iron filings or carbon can cause short circuits and explosions.
• Without maintenance, the condition of the equipment cannot be assessed, leading to being unprepared for backup actions. When the equipment fails, production is halted while waiting for replacement parts, or excessive backups are purchased, causing waste of capital.
• It greatly affects production progress if an inverter breaks down and there is no spare equipment available for replacement or if the lead time for ordering parts is long, resulting in significant damage.

Steps for inverter maintenance

• Check and record installation settings before maintenance.
• Review the fault history.
• Check the operational status before maintenance.
• Turn off the power and prepare for inspection.
• Disassemble and inspect for visible damage (cracks, warping, etc.).
• Clean the fan and check for proper cooling with a brush, cloth, and dry compressed air.
• Clean the circuit boards and connectors. Check connector contacts with a brush, cloth, and dry compressed air, and use specialized cleaning solutions for the boards.
• Measure the rectifier diodes and IGBT.
• Check and test the DC bus capacitors.
• Inspect and clean the inverter cooling system (fans, heat sinks).
• Check cable connections (motor and control cables).
• Reassemble and check insulation.
• Power the inverter on and check phase balance and input voltage.
• Measure the DC bus voltage.
• Measure the 24VDC and 10VDC control voltages.
• Run the inverter under no-load conditions (without connecting to the motor), then under load (with the motor connected).
• Check input and output current.
• Optimize installation settings.
• Prepare a maintenance report and recommend any parts that need replacing or stocking as spares.

Necessary tools for inverter maintenance:

• Clamp meter (to measure current): KYORITSU 2017 or equivalent.
• Multimeter: KYORITSU 1009 or equivalent.
• Gloves.
• Necessary hand tools.
• Anti-static dust brush.
• Cloth for wiping.
• Vacuum cleaner.
• Air compressor with a moisture separator.
• Specialized electronic circuit board cleaning solution.

Inverter maintenance schedule:

Depending on the type of inverter and its operating environment, the maintenance interval may be every 6 months or once a year, depending on the actual conditions of the surrounding environment where the equipment is installed.