Motors and Drives

Inside Advanced Energy’s Motor Test Lab | March 2006

A quarterly electronic publication for companies applying electric motors

• Testing Your Product
• Motor and Drive Systems 2006 Conference Recap

We hope everyone receiving this will find the content of this newsletter informative and useful to any motor system improvement program you may be considering.

Testing Your Product
Build Inspection - First Step to Finding a Satisfactory Replacement Motor
Recently, a major HVAC manufacturer requested that Advanced Energy perform a Motor Build Inspection and Analysis (MBIA) for five potential vendors they were evaluating. The intent of this MBIA is to compare the motor construction for each of these vendors to that of the incumbent or known motor, and to help identify high potential candidates for further consideration. The main goal of this effort for this HVAC manufacturer is to reduce the first cost of the motor as well as to maintain or possibly improve the motor performance over the normal life of the equipment. Review a MBIA typical category / checklist on Advanced Energy’s website.

The MBIA identified a number of issues with several of the motors. It also enabled the HVAC manufacturer to make specific improvements in the motor specification they were using in the bidding process. The new spec improves the HVAC manufacturers’ opportunity to get better quality motors at lower costs from suppliers.

As a result of the MBIA and the changes in the specification, the list of candidates being considered has been reduced from five to two. By starting with a MBIA, this Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is now able to reduce the cost of detailed motor performance and endurance testing required as the list of potential vendors was reduced. You will hear more about the progress of this program as the product release to market draws nearer. To learn more about the complete process for finding a satisfactory motor replacement in your equipment please visit our OEM services page. Make "OEM services" in the previous sentence hyperlink to: http://www.advancedenergy.org/md/consulting/services_for_OEMs.html

The Motor and Drive Systems 2006 Conference
Advanced Energy moderated a panel session entitled "Outsourcing Motors - Pros and Cons." February 15, 2006, during the Motor and Drive Systems 2006 Conference in Miami. Presentations were thought provoking and the questions and answer session that followed indicated the topic was on most everyone’s mind. Ultimately the issue revolves around the total life costs not just first costs and risk versus reward considerations. One of the panelists, Brian LaBoarde, Hennessy Industries’ vice president of engineering. Hennessy Industries, a Danaher company, indicated that Advanced Energy's motor services provided them with the confidence they needed to employ a previously unknown supplier and help speed the change to market. Contact us for more details or visit our website.

Inside Advanced Energy’s Motor Test Lab brings you the latest information about our strategic plans to enhance our testing capabilities, especially in the area of motor reliability for OEMs. For more information about our motor test and consulting capabilities, visit www.advancedenergy.org or contact David Berkowitz at 919-857-9047.