KANAGAWA, Japan, May 26, 2009 - OKI Electric Cable (TSE:5815) today announced the development of the "ecoSurge ™ U", an ultra-small surge suppressor*1, which is based on transmission line theory*2., Applying this theory, OKI Electric Cable succeeded in making the size of the suppressor remarkably small. In addition, with its original water-resistant sealed enclosure, the "eco Surge U" can be installed both indoors and outdoors. Sales of the product start September 2009.

"We are pleased to announce this new and ultra-small 'eco Surge U' that can offer users a surge suppression method at an affordable price by simply connecting to a motor device. The suppressor can be used anywhere as it is small, water-resistant and can be attached to new devices as well as existing systems," said Takashi Hattori, President of OKI Electric Cable. "Leveraging these characteristics, we will offer this suppressor to industrial equipment fields that use inverter-fed motors."

Compared to conventional filters for 15kW-motors, the "eco Surge U" is smaller and lighter (one-fifth the weight and one-fourth the size) and can be used from 0.2kW up to 75kW motors. The newly developed original sealed enclosure with improved heat dissipation efficiency*3 (on the control unit) enabled OKI Electric Cable to develop a surge suppressor that is water-resistant, a feature not available in conventional filters, and that is suitable for outdoor use.

The speed of inverter switching is becoming faster these days. In addition*4, by applying higher voltage to improve power efficiency, micro-surge, which is induced by impedance mismatch of motor cable and the motor, also increases. This can cause malfunctions in the motors. Such effects include insulation deterioration in motor coils, which damages the motor.

As micro-surge countermeasures, conventionally, LC filter circuits had been inserted between the inverter and motor to slow down the surge rise on drive signal waveforms and dissipate the surge energy as heat. However, with this method, as the motor power increased, it was necessary to use expensive and large-sized high-power-rated capacitors and coils. Thus, the space requirement, price and increased power consumption for suppression had been problems.

hile the conventional measure requires wiring to insert the filter between the inverter and the motor, the new "eco Surge U" is directly connected to the motor terminals.

OKI Electric Cable will showcase this suppressor at Electrical Construction Equipment and Materials Fair 2009, which will be held from May 27-29 at Tokyo Big Site in Japan.(Booth number: 1-41 one hall in the west)

Method of delivering products to customers

• In addition to selling the product in large lots, ORP Cables can be sold in pieces
  • Product:   ORP Cable Series (Total of 60 types of cuts)
  • Sales:   Keep an in-house inventory for all 60 types, and sell by the cut
  • Sales unit:   Sell in 10 meter units
  • Shipment time:   When ordered by noon, the same day shipping.
    Any orders after noon time will be shipped the following business day. (In Japan only)

Glossary

• *1:Surge suppressor

  This is a cable used commonly for robotic-use that has a high sliding performance by using a fluorine plastic as the insulator. It is a cable that excels in bending.

• *2:Transmission line theory

  This is a theory that the characteristic of transmission lines (i.e. cables and wires) change depending on the frequency applied. The following two principles are included in the surge control function:

  • The higher the frequency, the more likely the signal current will run on the surface of the conductor (skin effect)
  • The lower the frequency, the larger the cable impedance is for the transmission line (i.e. cables and wires), and conversely, the higher the frequency, the smaller the impedance, and eventually, changes in impedance become flat.
• *3:Sealed enclosure with improved heat dissipation efficiency

  A joint patent with Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd is currently pending for this structure.

• *4:Impedance

  This is the amount of electrical resistance for AC signal. The impedance value is determined from R (resistance), L (inductance) and C (capacitance).

About Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd.

Established in 1936, Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd. provides various advanced communications cables, optical cables, and related electronic parts and equipment to the worldwide market. As a member of the OKI Group, Oki Electric Cable Co., Ltd. plays a major role in the group, with the sales of more than 13 billion yen. For more information, please visit the Oki Electric Cable website at http://www.okidensen.co.jp/en/

Reference

Characteristics of "eco Surge U"

1. Offers small, light and high-quality surge suppression functions by applying the transmission line theory
2. Applicable to a wide range of motor models from 0.2kW up to 75kW
3. Enables filtering with no loss in driving signal
4. Eliminates the use of the six substances listed in the RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive

Example of application

• For 0.2kW to 75kW motors
  "eco Surge U" can handle:
  • both 3 phase 200V and 3 phase 400 V power lines
  • up to 50m motor drive cable.

Size

• For 50m:
  W x D x H: 93 x 261 x 300 mm

This product eliminates the use of the six substances listed in the RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive in Europe.

Sales

• Starts September 2009

Sales plan

• Fiscal year ending March 2010: 100 million yen
• Fiscal year ending March 2011: 500 million yen

---

• Information
• Product Releases

•