WEG has successfully installed three 1,000 HP motors for one of the world’s top producers and distributors of agricultural products, in a plant located in the United States of America (USA).
The motors are applied in a grind mill, which produces starches and sweeteners from corn. These motors serve not only as an equipment upgrade, but also provide critical ingredients for many of the everyday food.
WEG’s engineering expertise
WEG’s engineering expertise is the reason for the fruitful upgrade in the equipment
WEG’s engineering expertise is the reason for the fruitful upgrade in the equipment. After many failed attempts to rebuild the existing motors with a third party, the customer called in WEG engineering to research the failing motors.
After studying the history of the existing motors, WEG engineers asked questions not previously considered, such as the extreme summer temperature ranges, thereby causing the consideration for a 50°C ambient temperature motor design.
The WEG team changed the rotor material from aluminum to copper bar, thereby providing higher efficiencies with less heat generated. With reduced thermal build-up, the motors run at a cooler temperature, consequently extending the motors life-time while increasing the overall reliability.
WEG’s replacement motors
To ensure equipment longevity, WEG’s replacement motors are an insulation class H versus the existing motors class F. WEG also added vibration monitoring to aid in early detection of motor potential failure or malfunction, all preventing motor down time.
WEG’s team was able to make these motor upgrades, while keeping the same frame size, eliminating foundation work on site. Their new motors were able to drop right into place, minimizing installation costs and down time.
WEG is committed to sustainability across their business and this project did not fall short in taking care to design the most efficient motors for the grind mill application. Thanks to WEG’s engineers and their capability to think outside the box, they created solutions not just for the customer, but also for the food industry as a whole.