Variable speed and low voltage electrical drives are commonly operated by frequency converters. According to recent developments, there is a trend in the area of semi-conductors, that switching frequency and voltage slew rate will increase significantly. The aim of these semiconductors is to reduce the switching losses and to increase the switching frequency, which enables to reduce the size of passive components in the power- electric circuit. This results in less material effort and lower cost, for the power electronic component. However, electric motors operated by high slew rate inverters show problems in the winding insulation, which have to be analyzed. Such problems are well known for high voltage machines. Due to the increasing slew rate, this problematic occurs in low voltage machines nowadays as well. Here, the influence of fast switching semiconductors on the winding insulation system is studied, using accelerated ageing tests with fast switching high-voltage generators.

The paper contains the tatigue tests results for specimens made of three cast irons under proportional and non-proportional variable amplitude tension with torsion. The experimental data for long fatigue life have been compared with those calculated according to the algorithm with use of the modified criterion of the maximum normal stress in the critical plane. In the considered algorithm the Palmgren-Miner hypothesis of damage cumulation seems to he useless whereas the Serensen-Kcgaycv hypothesis gives satisfactory results. Applying the method of fatigue damage cumulation we obtain the critical plane direction which agrees with the experimental fracture plane very well.

The paper summarizes research realized by the author in laboratory and industrial conditions (foundries of cast steel and cast iron, castings up to 50 tons) on the effects of the chemically hardened molding sands regeneration using hard/soft rubbing in the dry reclamation. A reference was simultaneously made to advisability of application of the thermal regeneration in conditions, where chromite amount in the circulating (reclaimed) molding sand goes as high as above ten percent. An advisability of connecting standard and specialized methods of examination of the reclaimed sands and molding sands made using it was pointed out. A way of application of studies with the Hot Distortion Plus® method modified by the author for validation of modeling of the thermo-dynamic phenomena in the mold was shown.