Danfoss VLT 2800, VLT 5000 and VLT 6000, New Zealand

Danfoss / VLT 2800, 5000 and 6000

These three ranges use the LCP 2 panel, and the LCP 2 will not fit an FC drive. The parameter numbers are different too, so a VLT 5000 parameter list does not transfer to an FC-302. Replacing like for like keeps both. Replacing with a current drive keeps neither.

VLT 2800, 5000 and 6000 are long out of production and still running a large amount of New Zealand plant, particularly pump stations, packhouses and building services.

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The three ranges

Range	Built for	Typical use here
VLT 2800	Small compact drive, book style	Conveyors, small fans and pumps, machine axes
VLT 5000	General purpose and machine control	Process machinery, mixers, extruders
VLT 6000	HVAC and pump	Water and wastewater, building services, chillers

Two earlier ranges also turn up: VLT 3000 and VLT 4000. And VLT 5000 FLUX is the closed loop variant of the 5000.

What each one became

Legacy range	Current equivalent
VLT 2800	FC-051 Micro Drive, or FC-280
VLT 5000	FC-302 AutomationDrive
VLT 6000	FC-102 HVAC Drive, or FC-202 AQUA Drive
VLT 5000 FLUX	FC-302 with an encoder option

These are functional equivalents, not drop-in replacements. The next section is why.

Why a current drive is a project and an old one is a swap

The most useful thing on this page if you are weighing a replacement against a spare.

What changes moving to an FC drive
The control panel. LCP 2 does not fit an FC drive, and LCP 101 or 102 does not fit a VLT 5000
The parameter numbering. A commissioned parameter list does not map across one for one
The option cards. Legacy fieldbus and I/O cards do not fit the FC range
The footprint and cable entry. Mounting usually changes
The documentation. Drawings, asset records and the PLC's parameter references

So a like-for-like VLT takes the existing parameter set and runs. A current FC drive does the job better and needs recommissioning, new panel wiring, possibly a new fieldbus arrangement and updated drawings.

Both are legitimate answers. On a pump station with a maintained asset record and no engineering budget, the identical drive is the cheaper one, and secondary supply of these ranges thins out and does not improve.

The LCP 2 panel

The single most useful accessory on this generation.

LCP 2 is the removable control panel for the VLT 2800, 5000 and 6000, and it uploads and downloads full parameter sets between drives.

Situation	Outcome
Drive fails, parameter set on the LCP 2	Fit the replacement, download, run. Minutes, no laptop
Drive fails, no backup	Every parameter by hand, if the values are recorded anywhere
Several identical pump stations	One panel commissions all of them

Most sites running these drives do not have a parameter copy, and it costs nothing to take one while the plant is running. On a discontinued drive that is the difference between a fifteen minute swap and a day with a commissioning engineer.

One LCP 2 on the shelf covers every VLT 2800, 5000 and 6000 on the site. It is the cheapest insurance available on this platform, and we supply them.

Reading the model designation

On this generation the range and the size are in the model name, and the rest of the specification follows in the type string.

Example	Reads as
VLT 5011	VLT 5000 range, 11 kW class
VLT 5022	VLT 5000 range, 22 kW class
VLT 6011	VLT 6000 range, 11 kW class
VLT 2822	VLT 2800 range, 2.2 kW class

The digits after the range are the power class, not the exact rating. The actual current rating depends on the voltage class and on whether the drive is rated for constant or variable torque duty, which is why two drives with the same model number are not always the same current.

The type string after the model carries the rest: mains voltage, enclosure and IP rating, RFI filter class, brake option and any fitted options. Send the whole label rather than just the VLT number.

The RFI filter is part of the drive

A specific trap on this generation.

Filter class was an ordered option, and on several variants there is no built-in filter at all. An unfiltered drive is a legitimate build, usually where an external filter was fitted or where the installation did not require one.

Consequence
A filtered drive in place of an unfiltered one generally works
An unfiltered drive in place of a filtered one may not meet the site requirement
Filter class interacts with motor cable length and with RCD tripping

If there is a separate filter box next to the drive, the drive itself is probably unfiltered. Tell us either way and we will match it.

The brake option and load sharing

The brake chopper was an ordered option on this generation as it is on the FC range, and it cannot be added later.

Two things follow. If there is a braking resistor in the panel, the drive feeding it has a chopper, and a replacement without one will trip on DC overvoltage when the load decelerates.

And the VLT 2800 carries DC link terminals for load sharing, so several drives can share a DC bus and a decelerating axis can feed a driving one. If a bank of 2800s has busbars between them rather than individual resistors, that is what is going on, and the arrangement has to be understood before one is replaced.

Tell us if the drive sits in a load sharing group.

The fan is the usual failure

Worth trying before condemning a drive that cannot easily be replaced.

Symptom	Likely cause
Overtemperature trip, especially in summer	Cooling fan or blocked heatsink. Both serviceable
Audible fan noise then tripping	Fan bearing
Trips under load only	Airflow, or the panel ambient
Trips when decelerating	Brake resistor, chopper or ramp time
Earth fault	Motor or motor cable, more often than the drive

Fans are cheap, available and replaceable on these ranges. On a discontinued drive a fan is worth trying first every time.

We supply fans separately. Send the drive model and we will identify the right one.

Capacitor reforming matters most here

Because this generation is bought as a spare and then left on a shelf for years.

The DC link capacitors in a drive that has sat unpowered for a long period need reforming before it is run at full mains. Powering a long-stored drive straight onto the line can damage them.

Situation	What to do
Spare bought and shelved years ago	Do not assume it is a working spare. Reform before use
Spare in regular rotation	Power it up periodically and it stays healthy
Used or surplus from us	Powered up and tested before it ships

This is the most common reason a shelf spare fails on the day it is needed. Powering it up once a year takes minutes and removes the risk.

Before you touch one

The DC link holds a dangerous voltage after the mains is removed, and the waiting time depends on the frame size. Isolating the supply does not make the drive safe.

Wait the time specified for that frame, then measure the DC link before working on it. Larger frames need considerably longer.

What to send us

The full label. Model designation and the type string after it.

A photo of the rating plate. On drives out of wet plant this is often the only readable option.

Whether there is a braking resistor or a separate filter box in the panel.

Whether the drive is in a load sharing group.

Whether you have an LCP 2 and a parameter copy.

What option cards are fitted.

The fault or alarm shown, if the drive is still powering up.

What we can supply

Drives. VLT 2800, 3000, 4000, 5000, 5000 FLUX and 6000 across the voltage classes and power ratings, in filtered and unfiltered, braked and unbraked builds.

Panels. LCP 2 control panels, which are worth holding on their own.

Option cards. Legacy fieldbus and I/O options for these ranges.

Parts. Cooling fans, braking resistors and blanking plates.

All of this is new old stock, surplus and tested used. Used units are powered up and tested before they ship, and where a unit has been in long storage we tell you.

A sensible spares holding

Item	Why
One LCP 2	Covers every 2800, 5000 and 6000 on the site. Take parameter copies now
A fan for each frame size you run	The most common failure, and cheap
One drive of each rating on critical duty	Supply thins out and does not improve

The LCP 2 is the one to do first. A parameter copy off a running drive costs nothing and it is what turns a future failure into a swap.

We buy VLT 2800, 5000 and 6000

These ranges hold real value, because the plants running them cannot buy new and a like-for-like drive avoids touching a commissioned system.

Keep LCP 2 panels with their drives, option cards in their slots and braking resistors with the drive they fed. LCP 2 panels are worth money on their own, so do not throw them out with the cabinet. See Sell To Us.

Common questions

Can you get a part that is not listed on your site?
Usually. The site shows what we hold, not what we can source.

Can I fit an FC-302 in place of a VLT 5000?
Electrically in most cases, yes. It is a recommissioning job. New panel, new parameters, and the option cards do not carry across.

Will my LCP 2 work on a new FC drive?
No. Different generation, different panel.

My drive trips on overtemperature.
Start with the fan and the heatsink. We supply fans separately.

I have a spare that has been on the shelf for years. Is it good?
Not necessarily. The DC link capacitors need reforming before it goes on full mains.

Do you supply used equipment?
Yes. On these ranges it is often the only option, and units are tested before they ship.

What is the lead time?
Ex stock items ship the next working day within New Zealand. We give you a firm lead time with the quote.

Do you quote in NZD?
Yes, in NZD including GST for New Zealand customers.

Send us your model numbers

Send the whole label, not just the VLT number. And if you have these drives running, get an LCP 2 and take parameter copies before you need them. Quotes in NZD including GST.

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Industech is an independent supplier of new, surplus and used industrial automation equipment. We are not an authorised distributor of, approved by, sanctioned by, or affiliated with Danfoss. Danfoss and VLT are trademarks of Danfoss A/S. All trademarks, brand names and type codes are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification purposes only.