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Bargteheide, Germany, 2009-02-16 Continually increasing energy prices make it essential for companies to reduce their operating costs in order to remain competitive. Simply the fact that 2/3 of industrial electricity consumption in production plant is due to drive technology demands a corresponding provision of products and services in order to effectively counteract this problem.

NORD is very much aware of its responsibility towards the environment and its customers, and has long-since made this topic a fixed component of its company philosophy, while at the same time aligning its range of products to this. Recognising and implementing potentials for savings remains the greatest challenge. This is not simply achieved with a single product, but only by means of a holistic approach which includes the motor, gear system and drive electronics.

Energy-saving motors

NORD builds energy-saving three-phase motors both with and without brakes and four-pole energy-saving three phase motors for the international market. Here, our own motor production guarantees that we are more independent from supply bottlenecks and can guarantee short delivery times. The significantly increased efficiency of NORD energy-saving three-phase motors allows the reduction of operating costs. NORD also supplies energy-saving three-phase motors which comply with the specifications of the US 1992Energy Policy Act (EPACT).

Gear unit series

Decisive benefits to the operator

For high efficiency, the NORD gear unit range provides the right solution for individual applications. The optimized intermeshing of the gears, especially in NORD helical and bevel gear units reduces friction losses to a minimum – so that the drive is practically loss-free!

The increase of efficiency is a core objective for all developments. This is illustrated by two examples, which each contain a component to increase efficiency: All gear units are produced in the Unicase format, which was first developed in 1981. In addition to the high efficiency of gear units with helical, parallel, bevel and worm gears, there are further decisive benefits to operators. Greater operational reliability, high output torques, high axial and radial loading capacity, quiet running, high efficiency, reduced maintenance and a longer operating life are the key features of this series.

Frequency inverters - the economical components

Appropriate products are available for a wide range of powers. Whether drive electronics, simple speed regulators or complex positioning units with position control. With comprehensive functions and options, the ranges of application are almost limitless. With the automatic adjustment of flux by the energy saving function, the current necessary for flux is optimised according to the torque being delivered. This is performed by means of feedback loops in the frequency inverter.

Automatic flux optimisation

Innovative NORD frequency converters from the SK 5xxE and 700E series now provide an energy-saving function when running induction motors, especially under light loads. The asynchronous motor requires a suitable flux to output its full torque. Normally, frequency inverters keep the flux constant over the whole speed range, i.e. under varying loads a high flux level is maintained at low speeds, causing additional heat loss in the motor. Inverters automatically adjust the flux to the load and thereby reduce the motor current and losses in the motor. Especially with very light loads from 10 - 15%, energy savings of up to 30% can be achieved with this function.

The resulting motor current Is becomes considerably less with flux adjustment. This results in a corresponding energy saving.

The energy-saving function is suitable for all applications, for example pumps, fans and horizontal conveyors where there are no special demands on the dynamics of the process.

For decentralized solutions NORD supplies the NORDAC trio SK 300E and the SK 750E compact drives. These are decentralized frequency inverters which are either directly installed on the motor or wall-mounted, and include full control and programming functions. These compact units are powerful, robust, flexible and extremely economical.

Operational optimization in close-up

A total of 1,200 NORD drive motors are in use at the Kamps Brot- and Backwaren GmbH industrial bakery in Lüdersdorf. Five production lines ensure a safe and continuous in-house production process. In addition to the high demands of an industrial bakery such as availability and safety, minimization of operating costs was also a decisive factor. As well as the decisive criteria of speed and torque, efficiency was also an important factor in the design of the drives. The use of this drive technology at Kamps was a special challenge. At full capacity, a total of 400 tons of dough per day had to be processed. NORD was able to achieve the targets by using energy-saving drive technology. Kim Folmeg, Plant Manager at Kamps, sums up as follows: "The basis for standardization is to work with a drive technology manufacturer who has a system with which we can solve all of our problems."

Eco-friendly power for an eco-friendly brewer

Beer brewed in Germany must comply with the stringent purity law of 1516. For Lämmsbräu in Neumarkt, this was not good enough! In 1995 its entire beer production was changed so as to be ecologically friendly. The complete ecological orientation of the company goes right down to the finest details.

This meant that the changes were also incorporated into the design of the material handling system. Energy-saving was the topic, and for this the company commissioned the energy specialists - NORD. They designed the newly-installed transportation system with energy-saving drive units. This was soon successful. Ultimately, the energy consumption of the transportation systems was able to be reduced by about 40%.

Energy-saving potential quickly recognized

Even the re-planning phase, it quickly became clear that there was a considerable potential for additional energy-savings. The most important task was to develop solutions to significantly reduce power consumption.

Energy saving packages

NORD installed 100 energy-saving drives. These are comprised of a 2-stage bevel gear with 98% efficiency and the NORDAC frequency inverter. This combination was able to lower power consumption by 40%.

This was confirmed by the qualified master brewer and business economist Gerhard Winnwa: "We are satisfied with the supplied technology. The material handling systems allow the required output of 24,000 bottles/hour to be achieved – thanks to the energy-saving design implemented by NORD."

Comparison of energy requirements - a general calculation

Waste water pump: Speed regulation instead of valve control

This example shows convincingly how and with what measures savings potentials can be discovered and effectively implemented.

When planning an outdoor pump station, the following data was used.

• Max. quantity of waste water 750 cubic metres per hour
• Average quantity of waste water 430 cubic metres per hour

The pumping height is 12 m, the total height with the maximum quantity of waste water is 18 m. The pump delivers 900 m³/h at the rated speed and requires a motor power to the shaft of 70 kW. The rated input is 73 kW. Three alternatives for the adjustment of the delivery of the flow from the pump to the waste waterfall are compared with regard to energy requirements. In the table, a mean sewage quantity of 400 m3/h, 8,000 annual operating hours and an electricity costs of 0.08 Euro/kWh (today, 0.10 Euro/kWh) are assumed. The costs for a frequency inverter including the control cabinet and the required space is approx. 7,000 Euro.

In comparison with valve control this pays off within 6 months, and within two years compared with on-off regulation.

The savings are clear: Energy savings: 172,000 kWh/year. Savings in electricity costs: 13,760 Euro/year, pay-off time approx. 0.5 years

About NORD

Getriebebau NORD with its headquarters in Bargteheide and subsidiaries in 35 countries is a global company with an extensive range of products and services for electrical, mechanical and electronic drive technology. With a staff of approx. 2500 in four German factories as well as international production facilities, NORD produces and markets drive technology (electric motors, gear motors and drive electronics) throughout the world. The design of user-specific drive solutions with its customers and their supervision from the planning phase right up to commissioning is what makes NORD a strong and dependable partner. We see 24-hour service, fast availability and customer proximity as both a responsibility and an obligation, just as you can expect from a leading drive manufacturer such as NORD.