18.5 kW VFD: what jobs we ship it for
18.5 kW units our customers buy mostly for borehole and surface pumps, screw compressors 2-3 m³/min, supply ventilation in large warehouses, screw conveyors, raw-material crushers. An 18.5 kW 380 V motor draws around 38-40 A nominal. Typical use this year: farm service centers, small dairies, warehouses, grain elevators. On 15 kW these jobs trip on overload because compressor inrush is 80-100 A; the 15 kW IGBT bridge cannot hold it.
From the grid: input is 3-phase 380 V, no other option. Rated draw 38 A, breaker 50 A C-curve, cable 6 mm² copper up to 30 m (recalc for voltage drop on longer runs). Veichi AC10-T3-018G-B per datasheet holds 150% for 60 s (HD mode) and 180% for 1 s on start. Enough for a screw compressor with 2.5x inrush. For crushers we ship with torque margin: a 22 kW unit in P (pump) mode often costs less than 18.5 kW in HD mode.
Which model we ship in 8 out of 10 cases
From daily stock: Veichi AC10-T3-018G-B (budget, V/f, 12-month warranty, top mover). INVT GD20-018G-4 (mid-tier, in Kyiv). Schneider ATV310 at 22 kW or ATV630 when the customer asks for Europe. Delta VFD185E43A and Mitsubishi FR-E740: ship to order, stock usually empty, please ask before paying. ABB ACS480-04-039A-4 and ACS880-01-038A-3 we order only if there is an existing ABB cabinet and the customer wants a single brand. Veichi SI23-D5-018G-A (solarized, MPPT input for solar panels) we ship when the site has 20+ kW PV generation.
Before paying we ask. First: starting current from the motor nameplate, because 18.5 kW with 6x inrush ratio needs a 22 kW unit in HD mode. Second: braking resistor included, because a centrifuge or 18.5 kW drum without BR throws OU within 1 second. Third: cable length to motor. Over 30 m a du/dt output filter is required. Fourth: ambient IP rating. Standard drive is IP20; for a dusty warehouse we ship in a separate IP54 cabinet. 2-year warranty, 1-3 day delivery from our Kyiv warehouse.
Manufacturers in our stock
- Veichi (AC10, AC70, AC310, SI23): budget and mid-tier
- INVT (GD20, GD27, GD200A): universal mid-tier
- Schneider Electric (ATV310, ATV630, ATV930): Europe
- ABB (ACS480, ACS880, ACQ80): premium, ship to order
- Delta Electronics (VFD-E, VFD-C2000, VFD-CP2000, MS300): Taiwan
- Mitsubishi Electric (FR-D, FR-E, FR-A): Japan
