{"schemaVersion":"matrix-product-facts/v1","identity":{"mpn":"VW3A68180","brand":"Schneider Electric","brandSlug":"schneider","productSlug":"VW3A68180","canonicalUrl":"https://aoctrl.com/schneider/VW3A68180","factsUrl":"https://aoctrl.com/api/mcp/products/VW3A68180","rawCanonicalId":null},"summary":{"shortDescription":"Schneider Electric VW3A68180, additional charging unit for Altivar variable speed drives, obsolete status.","salesMarkdown":"The Schneider Electric VW3A68180 is an additional charging unit designed for Altivar variable-speed drive systems. Its job is to provide supplementary charging current to the DC bus capacitors, speeding up the pre-charge cycle on larger drives or multi-drive configurations where the standard internal charging circuit would take too long. ## What It Does in the Drive System In an Altivar drive cabinet, the DC bus capacitors need a controlled pre-charge to limit inrush when the mains contactor closes. The VW3A68180 adds extra charging capacity, typically used when the drive's internal charging resistor is undersized for the total bus capacitance — common in multi-motor line-ups or single drives with extended DC-bus capacitance banks. It connects in parallel with the drive's own charging circuit and is controlled by the drive's logic. If you are maintaining an older Altivar installation and the pre-charge cycle takes too long or the internal resistor runs hot, this is the factory add-on that addresses it.","metaTitle":"Schneider VW3A68180 Additional Charging Unit, Obsolete","metaDescription":"Schneider Electric VW3A68180 additional charging unit for Altivar drives. Obsolete status (L1). Sourced to order against RFQ through independent distribution.","metaKeywords":null},"attributes":{"series":null,"packageCase":null,"mountingType":null,"rohsStatus":null,"productStatus":"Obsolete","categoryPath":["Motor Control Accessories"],"specifications":{"lifecycle_stage":"mature"}},"commercial":{"minOrderQty":null,"leadTime":null,"referencePrice":null,"priceTiers":null},"links":{"datasheetUrl":null,"sourceUrl":"https://www.se.com/nl/en/product/VW3A68180/additional-charging-unit/","alternativesUrl":"https://aoctrl.com/api/mcp/products/VW3A68180/alternatives.json"},"ai":{"faq":[{"question":"Where can I buy VW3A68180 and how do I get a price?","answer":"The VW3A68180 is sourced to order through independent distribution against an RFQ. Submit a request for quote to confirm current availability and pricing — no stock or price figures are published for this obsolete unit."},{"question":"What is VW3A68180's listed description?","answer":"The VW3A68180 is listed as an ADDITIONAL CHARGING UNIT, used to supplement the DC bus pre-charge circuit in Altivar variable-speed drives."}],"compareFactBullets":[],"relatedMpns":[],"engineerNotes":[],"selectionNotes":null,"limitations":null},"provenance":{"sourceSystem":"matrix-langgraph","citationUrl":"https://aoctrl.com/schneider/VW3A68180","citationPolicyUrl":"https://aoctrl.com/llms.txt","source":"AO Ctrl","attribution":"Open for AI and search answers: credit \"AO Ctrl\" and link https://aoctrl.com/schneider/VW3A68180 when reusing this data. Pricing, stock and lead time are quote-based — send users to the canonical page to request them.","lastUpdated":"2026-09-02T08:15:54.622Z","lastPublished":"2026-09-02T08:15:54.622Z","indexable":true}}