A product designed for one country's mains supply doesn't automatically behave the same way on another. Voltage and frequency vary by region, and a compressor, motor, or appliance that runs cleanly at 230V/50Hz can draw differently, start differently, or fail differently at 120V/60Hz. Preen's AFC series exists to reproduce that variation on the bench — an AC power source and frequency converter built specifically for testing home appliances, motors, and compressors under the voltage and frequency conditions of whatever market they're destined for.
What a Frequency Converter Adds Over a Standard AC Source
A standard programmable AC source can usually vary voltage within a fixed frequency band. A frequency converter goes further: it lets voltage and frequency be set independently to simulate mains conditions from different countries on demand, which matters for any product that ships into multiple regional markets. The AFC series is built around that requirement, with the ability to handle unbalanced three-phase loads and to connect to either single-phase or three-phase loads simultaneously — a detail that matters for appliance and motor testing, where real-world installations aren't always perfectly balanced across phases.
Control runs through a large touchscreen interface with RS-232 and RS-485 connectivity for integration into automated test setups, plus six customizable hotkeys for the settings an operator returns to most often on a given test line. The display switches between phase-to-phase and phase-to-neutral readings, which keeps three-phase troubleshooting straightforward without needing a separate meter.
Model Families and Power Range
The AFC series spans a wide power range across single-phase and three-phase configurations. The smaller single-phase family runs from roughly 5kVA to 30kVA, covering bench-scale appliance and small-motor testing. Larger single-phase and three-phase families extend up to around 640kVA, which is the range that covers production-line testing of larger appliances, compressors, and industrial motor loads where multiple units or higher-current devices need to be exercised at once.
| Family | Configuration | Approximate Power Range |
|---|---|---|
| Compact AFC | Single-phase | ~5kVA – 30kVA |
| Extended AFC | Single-phase / Three-phase | Up to ~640kVA |
Testing Unbalanced and Mixed-Phase Loads
Real appliances and motors don't always present a textbook-balanced load, and a test source that assumes they will can miss failure modes that show up in the field. The AFC series is built to handle unbalanced three-phase loads directly, and to power single-phase and three-phase loads from the same unit simultaneously — useful when a test line runs a mix of equipment, or when a single product needs both a single-phase control circuit and a three-phase motor exercised together under matched regional mains conditions.
Choosing an AFC Configuration
Sizing an AFC unit comes down to the load's total apparent power, whether it's single- or three-phase (or both), and how wide a voltage/frequency range needs covering across the export markets a product ships to. Bench-scale appliance testing generally sits comfortably within the compact single-phase family, while production-line testing of larger appliances, compressors, or industrial motors calls for the higher-power three-phase family. Where a test program also needs to inject frequency events on a fast timescale, or needs LVRT/HVRT-style grid compliance testing, Preen's PAS/PFV regenerative grid simulator series is the more purpose-built option — the AFC series is optimized specifically for regional voltage/frequency simulation on appliance, motor, and compressor loads.