PWE October 2021

Focus on: Drives, Motors & Controls Energy & Environmental Management T he international focus on minimising our carbon footprint aims to reduce the effects of global warming and stabilise our weather patterns. At the same time, there is a realisation that we need to improve our sustainability and preserve the world’s resources for the next generation and beyond. . Making the best choice relies on having all the relevant information for a certain situation. The decision to replace a motor with one of a higher efficiency classification is usually governed by the initial cost against the additional savings that will be made during its service life. Depending on the application, upgrading from an IE2 to an IE3 motor may not be justified by the improvements in efficiency. However, some operators have concerns about the efficiency of a repaired motor compared to the original factory build specification. These questions can be answered by a recent study carried out jointly by the AEMT and the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA) in the USA. It concluded that the energy efficiency of a motor is retained after a repair that follows international standards and guides of good practice. Furthermore, the repair or remanufacturing of a motor effectively doubles the service life of the machine, especially in modern, clean environments. The reliability of the motor is similarly extended and in many cases they will carry the same warranty period as a new machine. For those with specialist environments that require repairs to hazardous area motors, suitably qualified and certified repair centres will follow international standards (IEC 60079 19) to ensure the continued safety of the intrinsic protection concepts. It is worth noting that only suitably trained staff should undertake such repairs, otherwise the asset record for the motor may be compromised and with it, the @meukautomation mitsubishielectric-automationsystemsuk The Mitsubishi Electric FR-E800 variable speed drive series is designed to support the complex needs of smart factories. On-board Artificial Intelligence and multiple network capabilities, including Time-Sensitive Networking, are enhanced with predictive maintenance functions and corrosive gas detectors. OEM machine builders and users in automotive, food, life sciences, manufacturing, water treatment and many other industries will benefit from the E800’s flexible control capabilities. The E800 guarantees high performance control of induction and permanent magnet motors and can be incorporated into Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 3 systems. If you’d like to find out more contact us on automation@meuk.mee.com , call 01707 276100 or visit gb3a.mitsubishielectric.com. n Corrosive gas environment detection n TSN and multi-network capability on-board n Built-in AI n Advanced safety functions n Scalable power for application diversity n Designed to meet the needs of Industry 4.0 AI-enabled, high-performance predictive maintenance. Smart enough ... to see the future... ...and to change it. .. Improving standards for sustainability of electric motors Thomas Marks, Secretary, AEMT, looks at the importance of considering all the options when an electric motor needs to be repaired. assurances of the manufacturer’s design. The decision to repair a motor, rather than replacing it, is not only a cost-effective solution, it also minimises the amount of resources that need to be used. This is summarised in IEC 60034 23, the international standard for rotating electrical machine: repair, overhaul and reclamation. It highlights the fact that replacing the bearings in a 110 kW machine effectively doubles the life of the asset while retaining 99% of the original machine. Furthermore, the old bearings can be recycled as high quality ‘green’ steel scrap. For a refurbishment that involves a motor rewind, 90.5% of the motor is reused and those parts that are replaced consist mainly of high- grade copper and steel scrap that can be recycled. In fact, just 0.9% by weight of the original machine, made up of varnish, grease, insulation and paint, will not be reused or recycled.