Drive services in a digital world

In India, 31 percent of total electrical energy is consumed by industrial motors. Drives control the speed of these motors and, hence, are a key component of enabling energy efficiency and improving productivity. Drives are an environment friendly option to use energy efficiently while running motors based on their current load instead of running them on full speed continuously, ensuring smooth industrial growth while decoupling it from carbon emissions in growing economies. Aligned with government’s vision of 24x7 smart power generation and consumption, drives brings in energy efficiency yields, which help faster return on investment in up to two years with savings depending on various parameters can be all the way up to 90 percent. 

Drives now come with capability of cloud connectivity through a smart phone and easy commissioning with a click. Information intelligent drives provide the earliest possible indication of potential operational problems faster, helping operators to minimise costly breakdowns.

In many industrial applications, such as pumps or fans which are powered by a drive/motor combination, it is the drive that actually controls the operation. Even in larger systems, where an automation system or PLC is controlling the drive, it can provide important indicators about the operation of the motor and the application.

With nearly 30 percent of the world’s electrical energy consumed by industrial motors, drives controlling the speed of the motors are a key component of enabling energy efficiency and improving productivity. The trend of efficiency regulation, increased industrial automation, enhanced energy security and clean energy will further drive industrial efficiency and hence products like drives in the country. 

A remote service center with condition monitoring for drives will enhance industrial productivity and energy efficiency initiatives, which is a low hanging fruit for India to achieve reduction in carbon emissions. It comes at a time when various Make in India programs are aiming to make India a global manufacturing hub across different categories and increase contribution of manufacturing to the country’s GDP. Reports and our experience reveal that India is likely to have a faster rate of adoption for smart factories of the future with minimal legacy investments. This is another step towards the fourth industrial revolution in the country. The ultimate after sales service is here.

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Subir Pal heads the robotics motion division in ABB India