Motors and drives must be packaged together — anything less won’t do
Ivor Vidjen, Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for Low Voltage IEC motors at ABB, explains the customer value of an integrated one-stop-shop for electric drivetrains.
There are more than 300 million industrial electric motors in operation worldwide. Every year, they turn almost half of all electricity generated into torque in a variety of applications and industries. Low voltage motors account for 65% of industrial electricity demand, powering fans, compressors, pumps, mixers, and more.
It has long been known that variable frequency drives (VFD) are key to reducing the power consumption of motors which require precise control, with typical energy savings of around 25% or even more, while also improving safety. And yet, some manufacturers still tend to treat them as separate offerings, which has the effect of encouraging customers to mix and match motors and drives from different providers.
As a company with 140 years of technological leadership in motors and 50 years of innovation in drives, which were invented by our forebears at Strömberg — we stand for a different approach.
A different approach
Independently sourced motors and drives, if selected or sized incorrectly, can lead to a mutual shortening of lifetimes for both technologies and suboptimal energy efficiency yields, which increase electricity bills for end-users. And even if they are perfectly compatible, there are shortcomings. Throughout their lifecycle, you’ll need to find experts that can service the two companies’ technologies while getting accurate data on their performance and potential failures.
Customers should instead invest in integrated single-manufacturer packages that are optimised for efficiency and durability, and engineered to outrun the competition. Packages from one technology supplier make it easier to select, configure, install and service.
Smooth purchasing, seamless specification
So, when a customer needs a low voltage motor and drive, whether for their wastewater pump, compressor, data center cooling fan, and so on, they have requirements that need to be met, such as dimensions, voltage and current specifications, and connection orientations.
They shouldn’t have to double the time and effort spent finding the motor and drive that match those requirements. They might find themselves fielding two sets of terms and conditions for two disparately manufactured products, with different warranties and lifetime guarantees, or working around two different timelines for delivery and installation.
The alternative is a one-stop shop. Purchasing a packaged solution from the same manufacturer is the only surefire way to ensure that a motor and drive are optimally compatible. These technologies have been stress-tested in the same labs, with the same rigor, from the component level upward. They have been designed in parallel with each other. From purchase to operation, the experience is seamless.
Energy efficiency in every application
Motors and drives are usually physically close to each other in the drive system, so they’re often subject to the same operational conditions. For example, induction motors used in roller tables need to be able to change speed and direction quickly, and act in tandem in lengthy arrangements. In a ski lift, High Dynamic Performance (HDP) motors must withstand the dynamic mechanical loads of transporting a weight along cables.
All of these ABB motors are compatible with ABB drives, like the general-purpose ACS580, and specialised drive models are packaged for distinct requirements. ABB’s drives are highly resistant to wear and tear, and are built on a deep and empirical understanding of their physics of failure.
These drives also function alongside motors that boast much higher levels of efficiency. ABB IE5 Synchronous Reluctance motors (SyRM) offer ultra-premium efficiency — the highest level currently officially recognized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). That means 40% fewer energy losses than the much more common IE3 motors, which are already 96–97% efficient.
In a chemical processing plant, for example, ABB’s Increased Safety IE5 SynRM motor range might be employed to mitigate damage from possible explosions or fires. For marine propulsion, a IE5 SynRM Liquid-Cooled is able to provide stable operation and high torque in the most restrictive of vessel arrangements. In both cases, only ABB drives ensure the motors can perform at their maximum at the lowest possible risk.
Service you can trust
The one-stop shop shouldn’t end at the first ‘on’ switch. One of the long-lasting advantages of buying a packaged motor-drive solution is that both technologies can be serviced by the same provider.
At ABB, we pride ourselves on our ability to service our products well beyond the point of purchase. The most well-kept drives can last decades, and when it comes time to replace or service motors, intimate familiarity with the technologies allows us to undertake a holistic maintenance process. We know better than anyone when and where components need servicing, and how these interact with each other across the motor and drive. After all, we designed them ourselves.
The fact that we know our machines inside and out means that we can carry out energy efficiency calculations with reliability and precision. We understand the information generated by our equipment, and we use it to report on performance and longevity, lay out a timeline for maintenance, and recommend upgrades. Customers can see this for themselves with our proprietary Energy Efficiency Calculator and benchmark the sustainability of ABB products before they buy, through our EcoSolutions system.
Companies looking to invest in new equipment must think beyond finding the cheapest combination of motor and drive. They need to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) of mixing and matching manufacturers: less reliable operation, lower compatibility, suboptimal servicing, and worse visibility of performance in every metric.
If a company wants a winning combination of premium energy efficiency, sustainability, and service, it needs one premium supplier.