Quantum Controls took only two hours to solve a problem for Northumbrian Water (NW) when it needed to hire a drive at very short notice.

NW called Quantum Controls at 3 pm one Friday afternoon with a request to hire a variable speed drive to replace an existing drive at one of its pumping stations. By 5pm the same day, Quantum Controls had a pre-tested, 440V, 500kW drive on site, together with three engineers to complete the installation.

Because the site ran on 660V, Quantum Controls also needed to supply and install a step-down transformer to match the supply to the drive, together with a step-up transformer to match the drive’s output to the needs of the water pump.

Another factor was the limited space available at the site, due to the size of the existing equipment. Because of this, the hire drive and transformer could not be placed as close together as they normally would, requiring Quantum Controls to use longer cables.

NW is a frequent customer of Quantum Controls and is a major user of variable speed drives. John Fielding, Acceptance Engineer for NW, says: “The fast reaction and support we received from Quantum Controls meant that we had no disruption to service on one of our major sites in the North East. I would not hesitate to recommend Quantum Controls and will happily continue to use them.”

With over 350 variable speed drives available for immediate hire, Quantum Controls can supply drives in ratings from 5.5kW to 800kW and voltages of 240V, 415V, 690V and 3.3kV. Quantum Controls are the only company in the UK to offer this level of drive hire service on this scale and can supply an equivalent variable speed drive to replace a unit from any manufacturer’s range. Hire periods can range from a couple of weeks to several months depending on need.

Hire drives can be used to trial and prove the benefits of variable speed drives before purchase. Some companies use hire drives to prove energy savings before applying for a loan from the Carbon Trust. Their other main use is as an emergency replacement for a failed drive. To minimise disruption, Quantum Controls can have a hire drive on site within hours depending on location, together with an engineer to carry out installation and commissioning.