How to meet sustainability goals, part 3: Examining roles of motion services

Motor services insights

• Motor-drive system energy efficiency requires intention and collaboration.
• Optimizing the motor-drive powertrain system offers benefits beyond energy efficiency.
• Transformative motor-drive technologies and related services help industrial companies achieve energy efficiency and decarbonization goals.

The pursuit of efficiency, including the optimization of energy consumption, remains a constant endeavor, in the ever-evolving industrial landscape, and attention to motor and drive motion services can help.

Industries worldwide are continuously seeking ways to improve reliability and reduce costs. The Control Engineering July/August issue links to the article on Page 6, “How to meet sustainability goals, part 1: High-efficiency motors,” explaining how high-efficiency motors reduce costs, achieve greater energy efficiency and cut CO₂ emissions. In the same issue, on Page 33, “How to meet sustainability goals, part 2: The drive for industrial decarbonization,” examines decarbonization strategies for carbon-intensive applications, emphasizing the critical need to address energy usage in industrial sectors. Industrial energy usage constitutes a substantial portion of operational expenses and plays a pivotal role in ensuring uninterrupted powertrain operations.

Industry leaders must choose to embrace energy efficiency as a strategic imperative and recognize industrial energy efficiency as a cost-saving measure and as a pathway to resilience and sustainability.

Energy efficiency requires intention, collaboration

Recent reports highlight that energy expenditures across U.S. industrial sectors typically range from 5% to 20% of total production cost, with a significant portion dedicated to sustaining uninterrupted 24/7 electrical powertrain operations 1. This underscores the critical role energy efficiency plays in enhancing cost efficiency and operational reliability. However, achieving optimal energy efficiency requires more than intention; it demands strategic interventions informed by data-driven insights and expert guidance.

Businesses are increasingly recognizing the imperative of efficient energy management and turning to energy and installed-base risk audits as tools for crafting robust, future-proof strategies. Energy and installed-base risk audits provide a comprehensive framework for assessing energy usage, identifying inefficiencies and implementing targeted solutions. By leveraging energy and installed-base risk audits, businesses bolster profitability and fortify regulatory adherence and advance sustainability goals.

At the forefront of the movement toward energy efficiency is a commitment to innovation and collaboration. Forward-thinking companies leverage advanced technologies and domain expertise to deliver tailored solutions that optimize energy usage while enhancing operational performance. Such holistic approaches address the diverse needs of industrial enterprises across sectors, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

Beyond optimization of existing systems, ABB is pioneering transformative technologies aimed at redefining industrial energy management. ABB Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) provides the business insight to energy saving maintenance and equipment risk. The resultant report contains recommended actions to reduce and/or resolve risk to critical operation. Courtesy: ABB Motion Services Division

How to optimize the motor-drive powertrain system

A key aspect of these energy efficiency offerings lies in their focus on the powertrain as a system, drive and motor combination. By optimizing the powertrain through equipment and configuration, businesses can achieve significant reductions in energy usage and maximize productivity.

Furthermore, predictive maintenance solutions enable proactive identification of potential issues before they escalate into costly downtime events. This enhances operational reliability and minimizes energy waste associated with inefficient machinery performance, enabling new levels of efficiency while extending the life span of critical assets.

Look for transformative motor-drive technologies

Beyond optimization of existing systems, motor and drive technology and services companies are pioneering transformative technologies aimed at redefining industrial energy management. From renewable energy integration to smart grid solutions, these innovations empower businesses to achieve unprecedented levels of energy efficiency and sustainability, setting new standards for industry excellence.

Software tools empower businesses to quantify potential energy savings achievable through the implementation of energy-efficient solutions. By inputting specific parameters related to their operations, users can gain real-time estimates of potential energy savings and receive customized recommendations for optimizing energy usage. Additionally, a lifecycle assessment provides the business insight to energy saving maintenance and equipment risk. The resultant report contains recommended actions to reduce and/or resolve risk to critical operation.

Industrial energy efficiency represents an often hidden yet pivotal means for enhancing cost efficiency and operational reliability. By embracing energy-saving initiatives and advanced solutions, businesses can unlock new levels of efficiency while advancing sustainability goals. Through collaboration, innovation and strategic interventions, industrial enterprises can embark on a journey toward a more efficient, resilient and sustainable future.

Article references from author

1 ABB. (2022). Energy Efficiency In Industry Report.

2 Energy Savings Calculator – ABB Motion Services – Energy efficiency and Circularity (ABB Motion Services).

Rob Snyder is local division manager, ABB U.S. Motion Services Division. Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief, Control Engineering, WTWH Media, mhoske@wtwhmedia.com.

KEYWORDS

Industrial energy efficiency, industrial resilience, industrial sustainability

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ABB Energy Savings Calculator includes new motors.

Severe duty motor NEMA Super Premium (IE4) design reduces motor losses by as much as 20% and up to 60% by adding a variable-speed drive, with extended motor life, less maintenance and more uptime. https://www.controleng.com/articles/nema-super-premium-motors-severe-duty-enclosures-20-energy-savings

How to meet sustainability goals, part 1: High-efficiency motors

How to meet sustainability goals, part 2: The drive for industrial decarbonization

Control Engineering examines how motors and drives help energy efficiency with expert articles here.

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