Retrofitting Motors for Food & Beverage Processes

Smart motors are in a league of their own when compared to traditional motors.

- 

However, due to the long working life of these devices, it is hard for plant managers to justify replacing motors early. Here Darcy Simonis, industry network leader for ABB’s food and beverage segment, explains how retrofitting can help bring motors into the fourth industrial revolution, without replacing them.

Introducing modern motors in food and beverage businesses can help them achieve up to 50% energy savings, considerably reducing running costs in existing applications. However, replacing motors is not always a possibility. Many food and beverage applications are bespoke, meaning that changing a motor could alter the end product as the exact conditions may be hard to replicate. At the same time, industrial motors are generally expected to have a life-span of up to 15 years and as such manufacturers won’t want to replace motors early on in their life-cycle.

Currently, businesses face a unique problem. Modern motors now have smart capabilities that vastly improve their running efficiency. With built-in smart sensor capabilities that allow manufacturers to extract detailed information, smart motors can now analyze, give accurate health readings, optimize running performance and extend the lifespan of the machinery.