ABB MotorAdvantage – how it works

MotorAdvantage is aimed at companies operating a continuous process such as those found in food & beverage, chemical, oil & gas and pharmaceuticals. Such processes tend to have critical applications, whereby if a motor fails the cost to a company can be hundreds of pounds per hour in lost revenue. “It is not just the loss of production but the potential loss of the company’s customer,” says Ruddell. “Not enough end-users with continuous processes focus on the question: What would happen if…?”

There are three stages to MotorAdvantage:

1. Consultation
During the consultation process ABB examines the installed motor asset register for the plant and, working with the local engineers, identifies up to five critical applications that are running either continuously or for more than 4,000 hours per annum. They then determine some basic information about these motors such as:

•    How old are the installed motors?
•    How efficient are the installed motors?
•    How many hours do they run per annum?
•    Have they been rewound before?
•    What spares holding do you have for critical plant?
•    What is your repair/rewind policy for ‘failed’ motors?

ABB also engages with the plant’s process engineers to determine the exact design criteria for the various processes. This gives ABB a clearer understanding of how the process is meant to operate and its critical design operating points, thereby ensuring that a properly dimensioned motor is selected should a replacement be deemed necessary.

2. The Appraisal
An ABB engineer, or one of ABB’s authorised channel partners, visits the end-user to inspect the selected motors, get an understanding of the plant, the inventory of spare motors, energy and maintenance plans. It is not unusual to find that an old motor can be 1-5 percent lower in efficiency compared to a new premium efficiency variant. If that motor is running continuously then you can achieve a typical payback of between 2-3 years should you wish to take the decision to scrap the motor prior to failure.

If the motor is replaced at the point of failure then, taking the rewind cost into the payback calculation, the new motor cost can be recovered in less than twelve months.  Bear in mind that many rewound motors will only have a six month warranty of the repaired components whilst a new premium efficiency motor from ABB will come with a full three year warranty.

3. Proving the savings – report and recommendations
Following the collection of the data, the findings are analysed and potential savings identified using dedicated software. The findings are methodically presented, with tables being created to help identify where savings are likely to arise. Among the data available includes an estimation of present energy usage, whether the application would benefit from variable speed control; payback time if an investment is made in new motors; carbon dioxide emission reductions; along with many other key facts and analysis.

An action plan is prepared, usually comprising an Executive Summary and a detailed Engineer’s Report, highlighting applications that can save the most.

The figures will normally be translated into monthly savings, and there will be detailed recommendations for implementation.

For more information, please contact:

Steve Ruddell
ABB Limited
Discrete Automation & Motion
Tel: 01925 741 111
Fax: 01925 741 212
E-mail : enquiries@gb.abb.com
Web: www.abb.co.uk/energy