Mitsubishi Electric: what kind of brand it is and where it sits in industrial automation
Mitsubishi Electric is a Japanese corporation headquartered in Tokyo, founded in 1921. In industrial automation it is one of the four brands a designer writes into a specification "by default" alongside Siemens, ABB and Schneider Electric when the project is serious. Tier: corporate, premium — roughly 25-45% more expensive than INVT, Veichi or Delta, but with long-term lifecycle support, predictable hardware behaviour and a coherent FA ecosystem: FR frequency inverters, MELSEC controllers, GOT operator panels, MELSERVO servo and the GX Works environment under one roof.
Customers come to us for Mitsubishi in two situations. First: the customer's spec literally says "Mitsubishi or equivalent" and an equivalent will not pass project review. Second: an engineer deliberately wants the drive, controller and operator panel from one vendor so they reliably talk to each other over CC-Link, Ethernet or serial without protocol headaches. If there are no such constraints and the budget is tight, we say it plainly: for the same task INVT or Veichi will do the same job for less. Paying the Mitsubishi premium makes sense when you need the ecosystem and 10+ year predictability, not a Japanese badge.
What we carry from Mitsubishi Electric — a map of categories
The catalogue holds 290+ Mitsubishi Electric items across three industrial automation categories. Below is a map with links to the relevant sections.
Mitsubishi FR frequency inverters
The FR-E (FR-E700), FR-D (FR-D700), FR-A (FR-A700) and FR-F (FR-F700, FR-F800) lines — compact general-purpose, simple, high-performance vector and pump/fan process drives respectively. Section: Mitsubishi Electric frequency inverters. The popular FR-E700 and FR-F700 at 0.4-22 kW are mostly in stock; heavy FR-F800 and large FR-A700 frame sizes are made to order (3-10 days).
Mitsubishi MELSEC PLCs
Compact FX3U, FX3G, FX1N, FX1S controllers, Alpha 2 relay controllers and the modular L-series. FX3U and FX3G go on machines and conveyor lines, the L-series on mid-range modular installations, Alpha 2 covers small logic instead of a rack of timing relays. Section: Mitsubishi Electric PLCs.
Mitsubishi GOT operator panels
HMI from the GOT2000 and GOT Simple lines: GT16 (full-feature, colour TFT and Ethernet), GT15, GT12, GT11 and compact GT10 for local pendants. Section: Mitsubishi Electric operator panels. Usually paired with a MELSEC controller or an FR drive, less often as a standalone visualisation panel.
MELSERVO servo and Mitsubishi industrial robots are not in our stock — if your project needs a servo drive, write to a manager: made-to-order options or an equivalent from other vendors may be available.
Mitsubishi FR frequency inverters: which series for which job
A short breakdown by series; more detail on the Mitsubishi frequency inverters page:
| Series | For what | What stands out | Example model |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR-E (FR-E700) | Compact general-purpose drives: machines, conveyors, small pumps and fans | Sensorless vector control, compact body, built-in PID, simple commissioning | FR-E740-016SC-EC |
| FR-D (FR-D700) | Simple constant-torque tasks: small conveyors, pumps, basic plant machinery | Basic vector control, minimal setup, low cost within the brand | FR-D740-160SC-EC, 7.5 kW, 380 V |
| FR-A (FR-A700) | High-performance applications: cranes, extruders, dynamic drives needing full torque at low speed | Full vector control with and without encoder, high overload capacity, brake transistor | FR-A740-00038-EC |
| FR-F (FR-F700 / FR-F800) | Pumps, fans, compressors: process drive with energy saving | Built-in PID, sleep mode, pump cascade control, optimum excitation for centrifugal loads | FR-F840-00023-E2-60 |
Before ordering we ask: what is the load torque (constant for conveyors and cranes, variable for pumps and fans), is there a speed sensor on the motor, what is the supply (1 or 3 phase, 220 or 380 V) and is a safety function needed in the circuit. Related material nearby: frequency inverter setup, frequency inverter repair.
MELSEC PLCs and GOT panels: which controller and which panel, when
Our logic for picking a Mitsubishi controller is this. Small automation without an HMI (timing relays, counters, simple interlocks): the Alpha 2 relay controller — cheap and quick to set up without a programming environment. A compact machine with a fixed I/O configuration: FX1S or FX1N. A more serious machine needing fast scan, analogue channels, positioning and networking: FX3G or FX3U. A modular installation that needs to grow I/O and communications: the L-series. All controllers sit in the Mitsubishi Electric PLCs section; popular lines: FX3U, FX3G, L-series, Alpha 2.
Link with the drive: a MELSEC controller drives an FR inverter over serial (RS-485, Mitsubishi inverter protocol) or over CC-Link via the matching communication option. This is the standard scenario; GX Works has ready function blocks for it. We size the GOT panel by diagonal and screen count: a local pendant only needs a compact GT10; for full machine visualisation people take a larger GT15 or GT16 with Ethernet. If the controller, drive and panel are all Mitsubishi, integration takes less time because everything lives in one ecosystem.
Field notes: where Mitsubishi really belongs, and where it is overpaying
From what we see, Mitsubishi Electric means predictability and long-term support, not "the most reliable hardware in the world". FR-E700 and FR-F700 inverters and FX3U controllers have been in our rotation for years; failure rates are in line with what you expect for the class, documentation is detailed, firmware and service are available. One practical note: FR and MELSEC are sensitive to the thermal regime inside the cabinet — inverters need cooling headroom, controllers dislike direct heat from power gear next to them; proper airflow and the clearances from the datasheet remove most of the "weird" faults. Mitsubishi belongs where:
the project follows corporate standards and the spec names Mitsubishi specifically, with review that will not pass an analogue; the project is long-lived (machine tools, crane systems, pumping stations, assembly lines) where parts and firmware availability 10+ years out matters; the installation requires the drive, PLC and HMI to be one FA ecosystem and guaranteed compatible; the maintenance team is already trained on Mitsubishi and GX Works and does not want to relearn. Overpaying happens when someone buys an FR-A for a simple pump "because it's Mitsubishi" while neither the spec nor the ecosystem demands it — in that case INVT GD20 or Veichi AC10 will do the job for less. We talk this through honestly with every customer: yes it's expensive, but for specific things, not for marketing.
What to check before buying Mitsubishi Electric in Ukraine
The checklist we go through with the customer:
1. The right category and series for the task. Not "a Mitsubishi inverter" but specifically FR-E or FR-F: different classes and prices. For PLCs: Alpha 2, FX3G or the L-series. For panels: GT10 or GT16. A mistake here means overpaying or missing functions.
2. Overload class for the inverter. Heavy Duty (constant torque: conveyors, cranes) or Light Duty (pumps, fans). In the FR-F and FR-A series this affects frame-size selection.
3. Compatibility of the MELSEC PLC, the FR drive and the GOT panel. Which protocol (Mitsubishi inverter serial, CC-Link, Ethernet), which GX Works and GT Designer version, whether the controller needs a separate communication option. If everything is Mitsubishi it is easier, but still check the versions.
4. Braking resistor or unit. For dynamic applications (cranes, centrifuges, frequent braking on FR-A) this is a separate line item that is easy to forget in the spec.
5. Service and spares. 24-month warranty; for a premium brand it is critical to confirm repair turnaround for your series and spares availability with a manager — for popular series (FR-E700, FX3U) parts are quick, for rare items lead times are longer.
6. Stock availability. The popular FR-E700, FR-F700 and FX3U are mostly in stock; heavy FR-F800, large FR-A700 frames, the L-series and rare frame sizes are made to order — plan 3-10 days for delivery.
7. Documentation. Before installation pull the manual for your exact version from mitsubishielectric.com: with Mitsubishi, sub-versions of a series can differ in parameters and terminal assignments.
Not sure which line fits your project: write to a manager with the motor power, the load type and what exactly you need (drive only, drive plus PLC plus panel, small logic). We'll suggest a specific series and tell you what's in stock. Related material nearby: frequency inverter setup, frequency inverter repair.
