Technical comparison between HFSR & FCMA soft starters

Sr. No.

FCMA
1 Harmonics free series reactor Flux compensated magnetic amplifier
2 Technical name as per IS/IEC standards – standard product Fancy brand name, irrelevant to the product – non standard
product
3 Based on solid technical foundation and the standard Based on non standard & inferior methods, not supported by any
technology adopted internationally IS/IEC standards
4 The operation, construction, specifications of the core components The word FCMA has nothing to do with any technology of motor soft
of the soft starter are well documented in starting
IS 5553 [ part 3 ] there is no any official document, standard, patent, technically approved
IEC 60289/60076 paper where the word FCMA can ever be found, it is just a marketing
both the standards clearly mention the word SERIES RESCTOR for gimmick used by some companies to misguide the user by pretending
motor soft starting application FCMA as technology.
5 As per the technical name, the product is based on series reactor The fancy brand name has nothing to do with the product, the product is
technology based on non standard series reactor technology.
The manufacturers do not agree to this as it requires higher technical
abilities to follow the IS/IEC standards. So FCMA is a poor effort to design
a series reactor type soft starter.
6 As per standards, the series reactor must be either air core based FCMA uses economical, low efficiency 'gaped' magnetic/iron core
or 'without gap' magnetic/iron core. which is not mentioned in any standard.
HFSR is air core based series reactor
7 Air core is highly efficient and technically the most superior Magnetic/iron core based system are used in transformers/auto
form of series reactor technology, and transformers, without gaped iron cores are not used anywhere, least
highly recommended for motor starting application. recommended technology for motor starting application.
8 Air core reactors are made up of 100 % copper, hence no losses FCMA soft starters are made up of 70 % iron [the core] and 30 % copper[ winding
takes place in HFSR soft starters ] hence heavy iron losses takes place in FCMA soft starters.
 Technical comparison between HFSR & FCMA soft starters

9 Air core based HFSR soft starters gives linear motor FCMA soft starters gives non linear motor acceleration as per the
acceleration magnetic core BH curve.
10 HFSR soft starters are free form noise, vibrations, eddy FCMA soft starters generates noise and vibration which are more
currents, and so the harmonics than the motor it is starting, it generates heavy eddy currents and so
the harmonics are generated due to core saturation.
11 HFSR soft starters doesn’t require foundation as it is free from FCMA soft starters require foundation to keep it at its place
all the above problems because of heavy vibrations and noise.
12

Iron core based FCMA

3 cores are built on one open 'E' core creating higher possibilities of
Air core based HFSR phase to phase interference, harmonics, core saturation, if because
3 separate and isolated reactors are used in HFSR to control of external fault, one reactor is damaged, the user needs to replace
the 3 phases, even if there is any external fault, there is no all three.
 Technical comparison between HFSR & FCMA soft starters

interference of one phase to other inside the soft starter.

13

The HFSR soft starter works on a 'dynamic impedance' The FCMA manufacturers claim to have a feedback winding to
principle which depends upon the back EMF of the motor control the impedance of the FCMA winding, unfortunately there is
during starting – results in delivering linear variation in the no feedback winding ever delivered in ANY of the soft starter, FCMA
motor voltage form set value to 99 % as there are no losses in do not show it in the drawings, so not provide any control circuit for
the copper winding – smooth step less bypass mechanism. the same, the customer is always cheated and heavily charged for
the feedback winding, which is never delivered.
14 The bypass even is carefully monitored and a close loop The bypass is open loop timer based mechanism always
event depending upon current sensing and supervisory resulting in partial DOL kick.
timer
15 The documents supplied with the soft starters contains the The documents always mention the standards for
IS/IEC specifications for each and every component including enclosure,switchgear etc. no relevant standard for components
 Technical comparison between HFSR & FCMA soft starters

the HFSR module, which are relevant to the soft starter required for soft starter mechanism is ever mentioned as no
application standard is ever followed.
16 As there are no harmonics and eddy currents , the waveform The core saturation and magnetic core behavior is not suitable for
is pure sinusoidal, hence the HFSR works perfect with power power capacitors, hence current limiting below 2.5 times FLC is not
capacitors and dynamic compensator, HFSR technology has achievable as well as it leads to unstable system situation.
achieved starting current limit up to 1.2-1.5 times FLC
17 As IS/IEC standards are followed, any reputed experienced The branding activity of FCMA leads to monopolization of the
manufacturer can deliver the said product and the user can market and user end up buying non standard product at
compare the performance and quality with standards. unjustified price where he cannot compare the performance and
quality with any standards.
18 The HFSR specifications can be used as a standard product FCMA specifications are non-standard and should not be used as
specifications product specifications.
19 The HFSR manufacturers delivers the product Exactly as it is FCMA is never delivered as it claims hence the core components are
claimed and hence nothing is hidden or propitiatory or hidden inside a box with epoxy casting which in-turn stores heat and
misguiding in the product- complete peace of mind and 100 % gets damaged soon - the user is left with doubts -unanswered
satisfaction with correct results. questions and unsatisfied.
20 Rightly priced , comes with world class CNC fabrication and Heavily priced , comes with standards cold sheet rolled manually
individual lock and key arrangement manufactured basic fabrication
21 Design activity need the complete motor and load data as it is Complete details of motor and load are not required as it is a non-
carefully crafted for the user application, 100 % software standard product, and hence can be delivered without providing any
based prediction is done prior to manufacturing and HFSR performance guarantee and performance curves as well as pre-
manufacturer guarantees the matching of the performance of production documentation, no standard software are used for
soft starter before installation. designing.

All the above information is correct and can be witnessed at sites, the information is not manufacturer specific, it is pure technical comparison.

Technically it is clear that HFSR soft starters are the correct product for the motor soft starter application and its superiority is unmatched with FCMA