Danfoss MCD soft starter: when to ship MCD 200 vs MCD 500
Customers buy Danfoss from us mostly for pumping stations plus boiler rooms with compressor halls. A typical customer this year: a boiler-room maintenance engineer running 2-3 centrifugal pumps at 22-90 kW who needs Modbus into SCADA, or an HOA contractor whose irrigation pumps tore a check valve from water hammer and needs a soft starter with soft-stop, fast. We stock both series: MCD 200 (base, 18-200 A) and MCD 500 (built-in bypass, 21-1600 A).
How to choose between the series. If the motor starts 1-2 times a day and the load is light (a fan, a pump without frequent cycles), MCD 200 is enough and is 30-40% cheaper. If it is a screw compressor, a crusher, a conveyor with stone product, or frequent starts (5-10 per hour), we ship MCD 500: the built-in bypass removes 90% of the heat after ramp-up so the panel stays cool; plus adaptive torque control and locked-rotor protection. All MCD units cover 200-690 V (T4/T5 up to 440 V, T6/T7 up to 690 V), ask us about your supply.
What we ask before the order and how long it takes
First: the exact motor nameplate FLA, not the installation spec (those numbers differ). For MCD 500 we size at or slightly above the motor current, for MCD 200 we add a 10-15% margin because it has no bypass and runs hot. Second: heavy or light start. A crusher, mill, or piston compressor pulls 4-6×FLA for 10-20 seconds; that calls for MCD 500 with adaptive torque. Third: do you need fieldbus into SCADA. MCD 500 has Modbus RTU out of the box, optionally Profibus DP, Profinet, EtherNet/IP. MCD 200 has no fieldbus: just relay outputs plus discrete inputs.
From our sales the top 3 for pumps and fans: MCD5-0021B-T5 (21 A, 7.5 kW, for boiler rooms; circulation pumps), MCD5-0084B-T5 (84 A, 37 kW, compressors), MCD5-0195B-T5 (195 A, 90 kW, crushers at concrete plants). Danfoss warranty 24 months, delivery from our Kyiv warehouse in 1-3 days; large MCD5-0595 and above sometimes ship to order (5-10 days). Datasheet available before payment.
| Model | Series | Current, A | Power | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD5-0021B-T5 | MCD 500 | 21 | 7.5 kW | Pumps, fans |
| MCD5-0084B-T5 | MCD 500 | 84 | 37 kW | Compressors, conveyors |
| MCD5-0195B-T5 | MCD 500 | 195 | 90 kW | Crushers, mills |
| MCD5-0595C-T5 | MCD 500 | 595 | 300 kW | Large pumping stations |
| MCD5-1600C-T5 | MCD 500 | 1600 | 800 kW | Heavy industrial drives |
The MCD 500 series features a built-in bypass contactor that shunts the thyristors after ramp-up, reducing heat dissipation by 90%. For general-purpose motor soft starting, the MCD 200 series with basic protection is sufficient.
Soft Starter Manufacturers
Our soft starter catalog features leading global manufacturers:
- Danfoss — 180 models, MCD 200 and MCD 500 series (Denmark)
- Schneider Electric — Altistart series (France)
Danfoss Soft Starters by Specifications
Selection by key parameters:
- By current: from 18 A (MCD 201, 7.5 kW) to 1600 A (MCD 500, 800 kW)
- By voltage: 200–440 V (T4/T5) or 200–690 V (T6/T7)
- By series: MCD 201 (basic), MCD 202 (extended protection), MCD 500 (bypass + communications)
- By application: pumps, motors, compressors, conveyors
Warranty & Support
Manufacturer warranty for Danfoss soft starters is 24 months. We provide technical consultation, commissioning, and maintenance services. Delivery across Ukraine: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, and other cities. Bank transfer payment with VAT available for corporate customers.
