MechChem Africa December 2019/January 2020

⎪ Power energy and energy management ⎪

WEG’s innovation and market trust are paying dividends. Despite the country’s poor overall economicperformance, Kreutzfeld saysZest WEG Group is targeting 15% growth with its high quality offerings. Among the latest WEG technologies are energy-efficient IE3 motors which reduce electricity consumption, and theWEGCFW11Variable Speed Drive (VSD) which selects the best efficiency, again conserving energy and saving costs. He adds that during 2019 a new series of WEGVSDs,specificallyforminefanapplications,wereintroduced to the market. WEG’s innovativeMotor Scan device is another important development, harnessing connectivity and the power of Industry 4.0 technology to monitor motor health. Attached to the motor itself, the WEG Motor Scan gathers vital data including vibration, temperature and running time. This is communicated wirelessly to a hand-held device or to WEG’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform. “Extending electricmotor life is going tobe an important trend in themarket, especially in themining sector,”Kreutzfeldexplains. “Only adecadeago,mines expected less than twoyears of life fromanelectric motor, and we have been able to change that. Using Motor Scan will allowenduserstooptimiseroutinemaintenanceandextendmotorlife.” Another technological innovation is the largeWEGslipringmotors considered ideal for the cement industry. Cement plants place high wear demands on electric motors, and WEG has developed features to address this challenge. “We innovate by being close to our customers and seeing the problems they face,” he says. “You cannot pursue innovation without understanding customer applications and market trends.” Todrivethisprocess,WEGestablishedaScientificandTechnological Committee in 1998. This forumallowsWEG’s engineering teamto en- gage with five university specialists, three from abroad and two from Brazil. The forum meets every two years to discuss market trends, technology and innovation, and importantly how to apply these to WEG products. “During this meeting, we share new concepts and products with the academic experts,” he says. “This collaboration has many mutual benefits. We gain ideas and feedback, and the universities can gather topics for their students to research.”

The variable speed drive assembly line at WEG in Brazil.

The WEG motor assembly line.

InsideWEG itself, there is a teamfocused on newproduct concepts and technologies. Kreutzfeld says many of these might remain in development for years, even decades, and are only commercialised in response to market trends. “Thispipelineofinnovationisvitaltomeetchangingcustomerneeds and is what sets WEG apart,” Kreutzfeld concludes. q

motorsexceedthehighestsystemlevelsofef- ficiency. Additionally,WEGhas product lines that exceed even IE4 and IE5 classifications. Recognisingthatglobalpopulationgrowth andeconomicdevelopmentaredrivingupen- ergydemandaroundtheworld,theEuropean UnionhassetstringenttargetstoreduceCO 2 emissions.Theseaimtocutemissionsby40% by the year 2030. This means creating more renewable energy sources, and increasing the energy efficiency of industrial systems. Studies suggest that almost half of global energy consumption comes from industry – followed by commercial and residential use. The EC’s regulation 640/2009 already requires that all electric motors operated froma variable speed drive or inverter must adhere to aminimumof IE2 to be eligible for sale. Fixed-speed applications must meet a minimum of IE3 to comply. Where a motor does not operate at its nominal torque and speed, the variable speeddrive represents a significant opportu-

nity for energy optimisation. In addition, the greater range of speed variation results in a greater PDS efficiency. UsingWEG’s IE2mo- tors with anyWEG variable speed drive can achieve an efficiency classification of IES2. However, using other WEG lines of motors with the right drive, much better levels of

efficiency can be reached. WEG has a complete line of variable speed drives which exceeds the IE2 require- ments outlined in the IEC61800-9 standard. When combined with its robust and reliable motor line, theproducts createan integrated solution for all applications. q

An extended product range illustration showing the motor system, power drive system (PDS) and complete drive module (CDM).

December 2019-January 2020 • MechChem Africa ¦ 17