Nuremberg, Germany — Siemens Automation and Drives (SA&D) and Jiangsu Beide Electrical Machinery Corp. signed a contract to establish a new joint venture, Siemens Standard Motor Ltd. (SSML) in Yangzhou, China. With about 1,500 employees, SSML will focus on the development and manufacturing of a comprehensive range of small- and medium-size low-voltage motors. Based on the SSML product offering and the strong market presence of Siemens Ltd. China, Siemens is seeking a leading position in China’s medium-price market segment. The joint-venture is subject to approval by the relevant authorities. The Chinese market for low-voltage motors has a volume of around€700 million ($827 million, ca 12 December) and a yearly growth rate of about 5%.
Klaus Helmrich, head of SA&D’s Standard Drives division, said: “This joint venture is an important step as it supplements to our existing portfolio by a strong motor offering. It enables us now to offer locally manufactured products for the complete drives (sector): inverter, motor, and gearbox—leading to an optimized solution for customers to (achieve their desired) productivity gains.”
— Richard Phelps , senior editor, Control Engineering
